More than Words Can Say
by Cherry Whisper
Summary: A sunny day on the beach would ease anyone's mind, but MOMO shares her fears with Jr. Is she really her own person or nothing more than a duplication of someone who once existed?
1. Dreams

More than Words Can Say  
  
by Cherry Whisper  
  
Chapter One: Dreams  
  
Darkness. Shadows engulfed the room, but the chamber was dimly lit by the eerie glow of the small candles. The smell of blood and decay hung in the cold air and flooded her senses like an overwhelming wave crashing upon the shore. In her horror, she saw them, one by one, strewn stiffly upon the hard, polished floor. Their humanlike arms and legs were distorted and twisted in grotesque ways that she did not think were possible, the long silver tendrils of their hair were tangled about their beautiful, yet emotionless, faces. Their eyes, their vacant yellow eyes, were open. They were staring; at what she was too frightened to know. Her small knees buckled at the sight of the corpses of her sisters as they lied in dark puddles of their blood. Her stomach was in multiple knots and she held her mouth with one of her little hands to suppress her urge to vomit. In her mind she wished to scream, but she was too terrified by the scene before her.  
  
And then she saw HIM. He held the limp form of one of her sisters in his arms as he sat in his large chair. Those same barren eyes stared in her direction from her tanned face as he looked at her with violet eyes of his own, eyes that had some sort of insanity to them, but also a depth of hidden complexity. He rose from his seat and dropped the body onto the floor in the same way a child discards an unwanted toy out of boredom, while all at the same time he wore that sadistic smile on his pale face and watched her with his scrutinizing eyes. He stepped casually over her dead sisters and approached her as she helplessly remained petrified, as if she too were frozen and still like the lifeless bodies of her departed siblings.  
  
MOMO woke with a start. She sat up from her soft mattress, and in doing so she had thrown the blankets off of her body. She brought her knees close to her chest and wrapped her dainty arms around them tightly. Tears streamed down her eyes and her breath came in choked sobs. Suddenly realizing that she was in her room on board the Durandal, she looked over to the bed beside her to find a sleeping Shion. Not wanting to awaken the copper-haired young woman, MOMO made her best attempts to silence her crying. Her large, golden eyes then directed themselves to the large windowpane to her other side. Small points of light resonated together against the black abyss known as outer space. They shone at her like so many gems of blue and white while their light pulsed softly and harmonically like the precise hands of a clock.  
  
"They're so beautiful." MOMO whispered to herself. She swung her slim legs onto the side of her bed and hopped quietly onto the red carpet beneath her. She drew nearer to the windowpane and pressed her hands upon it, the cold glass slowly absorbing the heat from her body. Her forehead supported itself against the window, the stars almost beckoning her as a flame does to an oblivious moth.  
  
"You're all the only ones that don't sleep at night. That must mean.you see a lot, right? You know more than any human or Realian ever could." She thoughtfully said outloud, still entranced by the celestial entities. "You watch over so many things while you hang there in the sky."  
  
Her hands left the icy surface of the window and clasped together as if she was in prayer. Her head bent down low, the velvety strands of her pink hair tumbling over her shoulders. "Please.look over my sisters. Look over the people I care about. Make sure that.that HE never comes back to hurt the ones I love."  
  
A warm tear splashed onto her hands as she stood still in the company of the stars, which in turn provided her with the comfort she had so desperately needed at that moment.  
  
* * * *  
  
Beep, beep, beep! Beep, beep, beep!  
  
"My goodness, what IS that noise?" Shion, much to her displeasure, opened her eyes to discover a ringing electronic clock beckoning her from her sleep. She grunted as one of her hands slammed on the button of the contraption to cease its racket and the other fumbled upon the nightstand beside her bed for her glasses.  
  
Shion sighed, her eyes still weary from slumber. Last night was one of the few that she was actually able to get a good sleep ever since she and her allies were fortunate enough to escape the events at Proto Merkabah. She was disappointed that she might not get another night such as the recent one, but she convinced herself that she had duties to attend to.  
  
"I have to check on KOS-MOS and see if her repairs are going smoothly." Her sight was now correctly adjusted after putting her glasses on, and she was now heading toward her closet for her Vector uniform until she was shocked that the bed next to hers was empty.  
  
"MOMO?! Where did she go?" Shion rushed to the unoccupied bed and looked under the now cold blankets. Her heart did not stop rattling in her chest until she went around the bed and discovered a sleeping MOMO upon the ground, her body huddled against the windowpane.  
  
"What is she doing here?" Shion questioned. Although she lacked the physical strength of the android KOS-MOS or the cyborg Ziggurat 8, MOMO was light enough for Shion to place upon the mattress. She pulled the discarded blankets over the Realian girl and tucked her in as if she were a mother caring for an infant.  
  
She needs sleep, Shion thought to herself. She went to the closet as originally planned, obtained her uniform, and entered the elaborate bathroom to get prepared for the day, leaving MOMO to sleep.  
  
* * * *  
  
Jr. poked his uneaten scrambled eggs and sausage with his fork, resting his cheek upon one of his hands. He stared at his breakfast only, and did not look up at anything else with interest. Gaignun Kukai eyed his long-time friend quizzically as he sipped his coffee. Mary and Shelley Godwin also observed their Little Master with curiosity.  
  
"You haven't eaten one thing, Little Master," the younger Godwin stated in between gulps of her orange juice, her blond curls swinging against the sides of her smooth face. "Is the food that bad?"  
  
"No, it's not." Jr. answered in monotone, his silver fork still jabbing at the untouched eggs.  
  
"Eggs are an excellent source of protein," the purple-haired, elder sister said in her usual intellectual tone. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, Little Master. It provides you with sufficient energy to get you through your morning activities. It would be unwise to skip it like you have done in the past several days." Shelley then began to neatly eat her toast with ladylike nibbles.  
  
"Yeah.what she said.and look at you, Little Master! You ain't nothing but skin and bones!" Mary concluded after a bite of her bacon. "And did no one have the right mind to tell you that you shouldn't play with your food?"  
  
"Will you guys get off my back?!" Jr. exclaimed, shoving a bite of his eggs into his mouth and forcing himself to swallow. "There, I'm eating! Happy now?"  
  
The sisters were quiet as an uncomfortable silence hung in the air, with the exceptions of the tinkering of forks and plates and the munches of food. Gaignun's calm green eyes focused on the seemingly twelve-year-old redhead as Jr. took a bite of his sausage.  
  
"Shelley and Mary are right, you know. You have not been eating much for several weeks."  
  
Jr. heard Gaignun's composed voice sounding in the recesses of his mind. "Leave me alone, Gaignun." He retorted telepathically back to the president of the Kukai Foundation.  
  
"Jr., there has been something troubling you. I know."  
  
"Stop talking to me like I'm a kid!" Jr. snapped back agitatedly while drinking the contents of his mug full of unsweetened coffee. Before Gaignun could say anything else, the starving crew of the Elsa barged in.  
  
"Man, that bacon sure smells good!" Hammer spoke hungrily after seating himself and began stuffing his face full of toast and fried bacon.  
  
Tony obviously agreed, for he was taking ravenous bites of eggs and slurps of coffee. Captain Matthews joined his crew and was enjoying his breakfast as well.  
  
"Morning, boss." He greeted Gaignun, who had just finished his meal.  
  
"You seem in a good mood, Matthews." He politely replied.  
  
"You're damn right about that!" Matthews enthusiastically confirmed, and he presented three slips of paper from his pants pocket. "I finally managed to get my hands on these babies!"  
  
"They look like tickets," Mary answered.  
  
"That's 'cause they are! These little beauties are going to take me to the Seraphim Sisters concert next Friday!"  
  
"Why did you buy an excess amount of tickets?" Shelley questioned.  
  
"Oh, these.well, they're for Tony and Hammer."  
  
Instantly, Hammer nearly choked on a piece of bacon lodged in his throat. Tony's fork clattered onto his plate because it had slipped from his fingers.  
  
"YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!" Hammer objected in fear and rage. "No way, Captain, THAT'S where I draw the line!!!"  
  
"Just listen to yourself," Matthews tried to calm his navigator. "You make it sound like you're gonna get eaten by a bunch of Gnosis or something."  
  
"I rather be torn apart by a whole horde of Gnosis then go to some stupid concert, surrounded by millions and millions of screaming lunatic girls!"  
  
"Girls?!" The dread on Tony's handsome face was gone upon hearing that females would be present at the event. "You mean like the cute kind?"  
  
"Who cares who's gonna be there?!" Matthews passionately declared. "All that matters is that the Seraphim Sisters will be there on the stage, their heavenly voices singing over the microphone and repeating over and over again in my eager ears like they've done in my dreams!" Tears of happiness were almost streaming down the Captain's aged eyes. "Oh, what I wouldn't give to be singing on stage with them!"  
  
The pathetic display of bliss on Matthews' and Tony's faces and the helpless one on Hammer's was so hilarious that Gaignun, Shelley, and Mary had to hold back the desire to laugh uncontrollably. But Jr. was not affected. He did not even chuckle or made a smart comment that was so characteristic of his carefree nature like he usually did. He only stared at his plate, mounds of egg still there on the white surface.  
  
"Good morning everyone," Shion chirped as she entered Gaignun's private dining room. She took a seat next across a depressed Hammer and beside an ecstatic Matthews. "Um.what's going on?"  
  
"Yeah, fill me in," a masculine voice broke into the conversation. Allen had arrived after Shion, and was let down upon seeing that the seat next to his beloved Chief was already occupied by an unusually overjoyed Captain Matthews.  
  
"Oh," Mary stared, her face red from restraining her laughter, "Captain Matthews here was just lucky enough to get tickets to see those singers that he's always yapping about."  
  
"They're called the Seraphim Sisters!" Matthews corrected her. "Man, they have such a beautiful name that whenever I say it it's like calling out to those two angels."  
  
Shion giggled, "That's such good news, Captain! You've been wanting to see that concert for some time now.hey, where's chaos?"  
  
Hammer, being the only one able to speak since Matthews was too jubilant to do so and Tony was daydreaming about how many phone numbers he can get next Friday night, replied, "We're not sure where he is. He wasn't in his room when I went in to wake him up. I guess he's wandering around the ship somewhere."  
  
"That's strange," Shion said while drinking her juice, enjoying the citrus flavor of the oranges, "I hope that he's O.K."  
  
Allen looked around the table from his seat, and also noticed that the silver-haired young man was not the only one absent from breakfast. "Hey Chief, wasn't MOMO with you?"  
  
Jr.'s head shot up in interest after Allen had spoken that name. Gaignun took note of it as being the only time during breakfast that the U.R.T.V. was actually paying attention.  
  
"I let her sleep in a little. She needs the rest."  
  
"What happened to her?" Jr. questioned, trying to hide his concern.  
  
"Nothing happened," Shion assured him. "It's just that this morning, I found her asleep near the window in our room. I think she was up for a while until she was able to rest."  
  
Jr.'s head bent low after hearing what Shion had told him. Gaignun watched him with worry, and suddenly the black-haired businessman thought of a solution.  
  
"Even Realians must have nutrition to carry out daily routines just as humans do. If MOMO does not wake up soon, I fear that there won't be any food left for her."  
  
Jr.'s bright azure eyes directed themselves towards Gaignun, and he noticed that there was a small smile on his thin lips.  
  
"Why don't you bring breakfast down to her?"  
  
Jr. grinned at the suggestion Gaignun had just channeled mentally to him. He left his seat and went over to MOMO's empty chair. He saw a silver tray on which a large pitcher of orange juice was settled upon, and took it, placing the beverage on the tablecloth. He carefully put a plate of scrambled eggs, browned toast, and warm sausage onto the tray along with a tall cool glass of orange juice. He then carefully made his way to the door as he carried the tray of food with him.  
"Where are you going, Little Master?" Mary asked. Jr. looked back at her and the entire party, their inquisitive faces all staring at him.  
  
"I'm just gonna bring MOMO something to eat." He simply answered, and left the room. Only Gaignun and the Godwin sisters knew why the young Rubedo had a sudden change of moods.  
  
* * * *  
  
MOMO whimpered upon seeing the corpse before her. The same long silver hair was tangled about the motionless form of the Kirschwasser, but did not conceal those haunting eyes that seemed to scream at her with an inexplicable hatred. Even if she was dead, her sister's eyes told her of the life of denial, agony, and wretchedness that she was forced to undergo. MOMO fell onto her knees next to the Kirschwasser, and her trembling hand swept away the loose strands of hair from her face.  
  
"It was all your fault." MOMO nearly screamed upon hearing the voice. It was that of her sister's, although the corpse's silvery-blue lips never moved. "Daddy loved you most. He never looked at us the same way he looked at you."  
  
All of a sudden, more corpses of the Kirschwassers came into MOMO's view one by one. They all possessed the same wide, barren eyes of suffering, the same gray hair, the same blank voices that did not conceal their emotions of abhorrence and resentment.  
  
"We did not exist to him."  
  
"You were all he cared about."  
  
"You are the cause of our pain."  
  
"You were the one who should have been killed."  
  
".taste our sorrow."  
  
".all your fault.die."  
  
MOMO was too petrified to even cry. The Kirschwassers surrounded her, their opened eyes shot daggers at her from their rigid corpses. The scent of their blood permeated the air as they continued to threaten and torture her, their detached voices dripping poison.  
  
"Yes, that's right!" A chilling voice boasted behind her, the same voice that has been lingering in her thoughts since HE had kidnapped her. MOMO's head turned slowly, and her entire body began to shake violently upon seeing her tormentor.  
  
His milky-white hair was complemented by his maddening, violet eyes. His masculine figure towered over her as he let out another maniacal laugh that sent shivers down her spine.  
  
A crazed smile spread across his pale face. "They are all right, my adorable little peach. It was all YOUR fault! Yours entirely! YOU only bring grief to the people around you, you are the reason of everyone's strife!"  
  
MOMO covered her ears, trying desperately to prevent herself from believing the man's terrible words. "No, that's not true! I didn't mean to hurt anyone."  
  
"It does not matter." His voice heightened to a shrieking laugh. "Don't you see after all this time? You are only a danger, a predicament, AN ABONIMATION. You were born from a war in which countless people lost their lives."  
  
"S-stop it.please just stop it."  
  
"You were created from the hands of a murderer. You are only a mere little doll assembled by a madman!"  
  
"Daddy.daddy wasn't a madman!"  
  
"You have no soul, you have no heart! You are only a mimicry of humanity, the embodiment of the dreams of your delusional inventor. You will only lead the ones you love to misery!"  
  
"Leave me alone!"  
  
"THEY WILL SUFFER BECAUSE OF YOU!"  
  
MOMO cast her eyes down from her accuser, only to find that the Kirschwasser was no longer before her. In her place, was the unmoving body of a crimson-haired boy. His limbs were spread out like those of a broken marionette's, and his cerulean eyes were wide open, staring expressionlessly into MOMO's horrified face. She panicked, and cradled his cold body in her arms, supporting the back of his head.  
  
"Jr.please, wake up." She pleaded, gripping his hand with her clammy one.  
  
"Look at your hands, ma peche. See his death upon them."  
  
She did not know why she listened to him, but she apparently did. She allowed Jr.'s head to rest upon her lap while she raised her hands. Dripping from her palms and fingers was blood, as red as his fiery hair. It ran from her hands and onto Jr.'s pallid face in the form of tiny spheres.  
  
"I did this to him.I killed him."  
  
A deafening laughter pounded in her ears while her tears rolled down her cheeks and fell onto Jr.'s face, intermixing with the drops of blood from her hands.  
  
A blood-curling scream pierced the quietness of the hallway outside of MOMO's room.  
  
Special note: Sorry to break the mood, but this is my first Xenosaga fic. I hope if anyone read this, that you enjoyed it. Feel free to send me your comments here: cherry_whisper01@yahoo.com. Tell me what you think. Thanks! ( 


	2. Breakfast in Bed

More than Words Can Say  
  
Chapter Two: Breakfast in Bed  
  
MOMO instantly rose upright from her bed, sobbing uncontrollably. She was too preoccupied with her thoughts that she did not even notice that she was in the arms of a concerned chaos.  
  
"MOMO, calm down. Everything is all right." His soothing voice comforted her as he hugged her tightly. MOMO buried her face in his silver hair, her cries muffled against his shoulder.  
  
"I killed him! I killed him!" She repeated over and over again in chaos' ear. "He died because of me, it's all my fault!"  
  
chaos held her small shaking body, attempting to console her as an older brother would do to his younger sibling. "Shh, stop saying that. You didn't kill anyone."  
  
MOMO's head shook violently, her pink hair tumbling over her tiny shoulders. "I killed Jr.! He's gone...he's not coming back!" She wailed, her warm tears trickling down her cheeks and onto her pink cotton nightgown. "He said that everyone will suffer because of me, that I am the cause of everyone's pain!!!"  
  
chaos' gloved hands stroked away MOMO's bangs from her wet eyes. "Whoever told you that was wrong, MOMO. Not a single word of it is true."  
  
"B-but I saw him! That man...and my sisters...they all said that I was responsible for what he did to them..." MOMO trailed off as her cries subsided a bit. "I'm just an abomination, like Daddy...that's what Albedo said..."  
  
chaos only held her quivering form. "He was wrong. It was all just a nightmare."  
  
MOMO moved away from chaos so that her large golden eyes made contact with chaos' transparent green-blue ones. "So, Jr. is all right?" She sniffled, wiping her tears and cheeks with her sleeve.  
  
chaos' peaceful smile brought a sense of reassurance to MOMO. "Yes, he's fine. And so is everyone else. You didn't do anything to anybody, MOMO."  
  
MOMO cast her eyes downward toward her mattress, her slender fingers fidgeting with her blankets. "It...all seemed so real."  
  
chaos placed his hand on her tiny shoulder. "If it makes you feel better, you can tell me all about it."  
  
MOMO looked up at the elder boy once more. For some reason, the pupils of his eyes reminded her of the ocean on Second Miltia that she saw when the Elsa had miraculously landed safely after making a dangerous escape from the explosion of Proto Merkabah: they both were tranquil and a brilliant shade of turquoise, yet they concealed a vast depth to them, as if they hid some sort of knowledge that they wished not to reveal. Although he was somewhat unusual and mysterious, chaos always treated MOMO like a human being just as all her other friends did. She did not know where he came from or the origin of his uncanny ability to control the monstrosities known as the Gnosis, but chaos was like an older brother to her. She did not even care if he were human or not: chaos, just as all the other people that MOMO cared for, was family.  
  
"I was in a dark place," she timidly began. "I couldn't see where I was, but my sister was in front of me. She wasn't moving or anything. I kind of went closer to her, and she spoke."  
  
"And what did she say?"  
  
"She said that I was the only one Daddy cared about, that I was the only one he looked at. And then, more of my sisters came, and they said the same thing: that Daddy neglected them because of me, that it was my fault what Albedo did to them...and that I was the one who should've died."  
  
MOMO held onto chaos' hand for support as she described her nightmare. "And then, I saw Albedo. He said that all of my sisters were right. He told me that I would only bring sadness to everyone around me, and that I will hurt them, even if I don't mean to. After that, I saw Jr. He...didn't move like my sisters. His eyes were open, but he didn't look angry, or sad, or happy. He..." The tears began to well up in her eyes and they slightly stung, and chaos wrapped his lean arms around her.  
  
"...he didn't smile at me or even tease me like he always does. He just laid there, staring at me. I held him, and Albedo told me to look at my hands. I did...and...I saw blood. It was Jr.'s blood, it was all over my fingers. I heard Albedo laugh behind me and after that, I don't remember much."  
  
MOMO stopped, and her sobs and tears had ceased except for an occasional sniffle. Although she was a Realian, her eyes were somewhat red as any human's would be after crying. She had suddenly felt better, as if a large weight had been lifted off of her chest and she was able to breathe again. chaos again washed away whatever fears she possessed with comforting words and promises that Jr. and everyone else were fine.  
  
After a moment of silence, chaos spoke again. "Are you feeling better, now?"  
  
MOMO looked up at him and nodded. She even managed a small, but sincere, smile. "Uh huh. I feel good now. Thank you so much, chaos."  
  
chaos returned her smile. "It's all right. I'm just glad that you're okay now."  
  
"Um, what time is it?" MOMO shyly asked, coming to the realization that she slept in, since she noticed that Shion was not in her bed.  
  
"It's almost half past ten. I think that Captain Matthews and the others are almost done eating."  
  
MOMO's delicate brows knitted together. "Then, does that mean you missed breakfast?"  
  
chaos laughed softly. "Don't worry about me. I'll catch a bite sometime later on Second Miltia when we dock there."  
  
"Oh, you're going there?"  
  
"Yes. Until now, Shion was really the only one that could visit Second Miltia. Since everything is settled, everyone has time to themselves now. The Captain needs a few things to get ready for his big concert, Hammer wants to check out the electronics store down there, and Tony...well Tony says that he's bored of the Foundation and wants to take a look."  
  
"I haven't been there yet," MOMO admitted. "I've been wanting to, but I never had the chance. Shion says that it's really nice."  
  
chaos rose from MOMO's bed and stretched his arms. "Well, get dressed and you can tag along with us. Shion is coming, too. She's told me that there's a lot of neat stores there, including an ice cream parlor."  
  
"Ice cream?" A puzzled MOMO questioned. Again, chaos chuckled.  
  
"It's a really tasty dairy snack that's made from cream, milk, and sugar. A lot of children love it and are always begging their parents for one. It's so good that even adults crave it. I'll get you one when we arrive at Second Miltia. My treat."  
  
A bright smile beamed on MOMO's lips. "Okay, I'll go!"  
  
"In that case, we leave in about an hour after Tony gets the Elsa up and running. Go ahead and ask Ziggy and Jr. if they want to come."  
  
chaos turned away and was about to leave, until he felt a small hand grabbing at his wrist. "chaos?"  
  
He glanced back towards MOMO. "Can you please not tell anyone about my dream?"  
  
chaos kneeled over so that his eyes met MOMO's. Although she had stopped crying, there was an expression of uneasiness on her childlike face. "I don't want anyone to worry about me. If Shion or Ziggy knew, that would only make them scared. And Jr. would only be upset if I even mention Albedo's name and...I don't want to do that to him."  
  
There was an appearance of understanding on chaos' dark tan face. "Of course. Your secret's safe. If you ever feel like talking, then you can always come to me, MOMO."  
  
MOMO's little arms encircled chaos' small waist in deep gratitude. "Thank you for everything."  
  
chaos patted her silky hair, and MOMO released him so that he could leave her room and prepare for his trip to Second Miltia. MOMO turned her attention toward the large windowpane to her side, contemplating her thoughts as she looked once again to the luminous stars.  
  
chaos entered the automatic doors and continued to walk away as they closed behind him. His silver hair swayed against his cheeks and above his turquoise eyes as his body moved.  
  
"Albedo," he spoke the name cautiously as if it were a curse, "you've taken so much from your victims. You have even gone so far as to rob them of their peace of mind."  
  
* * * *  
  
Jr. walked swiftly, but carefully, down the vacant halls of the Durandal, the ends of his long black trenchcoat billowing after him and the scent of MOMO's breakfast wafting in the air. It was three months ago when these silent hallways were filled with frightened and panicked citizens when the Gnosis had invaded the Kukai Foundation like an unexpected plague. Jr. remembered seeing the wounded being cared for by the medics onboard the Durandal, and he recalled the worried refugees who were separated from their families. Fortunately enough, the citizens returned back to the Foundation and began rebuilding their sectors. Jr. knew well enough that they were a very resolute and hardworking people, and that even Gnosis would not drive them away from the only home they have known. Still, something had disturbed the U.R.T.V.: it had bothered him to the point that he could not even sleep soundly at night without breaking into a sweat.  
  
"How can I protect her?" He silently asked himself in uncertainty. "It's been too quiet these past three months. Albedo is hiding somewhere, that's for damn sure. He is up to something."  
  
A uniformed security officer passed him, giving him a polite smile and a salute. "Morning, Little Master."  
  
Jr. gave him a slight nod and a small greeting, and continued on his way with the warm food. "Albedo has the power to regenerate his body parts, and it always seems like he's one step ahead of me. What if I'm not there to save MOMO from that sick bastard-"  
  
Something caught Jr.'s eye. A swish of a pair of automatic doors reached his ears, and he saw chaos casually exiting the room MOMO shared with Shion. Suspicion brewed inside of Jr., for chaos was not present at breakfast either.  
  
After waiting until the silver-haired member of the Elsa's crew had left the hallway, Jr. quickly approached the room. The doors instantly opened to create an entrance for him, and to his relief, he saw an awaken MOMO sitting in her bed. When she turned toward his direction, he saw a glimpse of relief in her honey-colored eyes as well.  
  
"Jr.!" She cried ecstatically, for what reason he did not know.  
  
"Morning, MOMO." He greeted. He drew nearer to her and placed the tray on the mattress before her. "Shion told me that she let you sleep in. I thought that you might want some food in you, so I picked up something."  
  
Another pretty smile appeared on MOMO's lips, which was soothing to Jr. as cool rain upon the dry and cracked earth. "That was so nice of you. Thanks!" She immediately picked up her fork and began consuming the scrambled eggs.  
  
As Jr. watched her, the memory of chaos leaving the room a minute ago played back in his mind, and his wariness returned. "Hey MOMO, I saw chaos going out of your room just now. Did you guys talk about something?"  
  
MOMO stopped eating for that instant. She looked into Jr.'s bright sapphire eyes, which were now alive and handsome like they always appeared to her. She suddenly remembered her nightmare, in which those same eyes stared at her with a bleakness that was so distinctive of death. A fear lurched inside of her mind upon reminiscing, but she abruptly reminded herself that she did not want to distress the person whom her heart held so dear.  
  
"He was just inviting me to go to Second Miltia with Shion and Captain Matthews," she hastily replied. Even though that statement was true, she felt guilty for not admitting the whole matter to Jr.  
  
"Oh, really...?" Jr. responded, his doubt still lingering, but he did his best to cover it up.  
  
"Yes. I've never been there, but I've always wanted to...Jr.?"  
  
"Hmmm?"  
  
"You look kind of pale. Did you eat breakfast?"  
  
Jr. scratched the back of his head. "Well, kinda..."  
  
"I think you should eat more." MOMO said as she broke her toast in half and began piling some of her eggs on it.  
  
Jr. shook his head in denial. "Mary and Shelley said the same thing. What is it with you women always wanting to shove food down my throat-" The redheaded captain of the Durandal could not speak another word, for MOMO had pushed the egg-topped toast into Jr.'s mouth. He could taste the crispy texture of the browned bread while MOMO continued to eat her meal.  
  
"There, that should hold you off until lunch." She simply stated, enjoying another bite of eggs. Even though she was not technically a full human, she still loved experiencing the various tastes of culinary delights. She admired the individual sensations that occurred on her taste buds from different types of food, so whenever she could she tried a unique dish she had never eaten before.  
  
Jr. attempted to speak, but the toast had muffled his speech much to his displeasure.  
  
MOMO giggled a bit after taking a drink of her orange juice. "I'm sorry, but if you want to say something you have to finish your food."  
  
Jr. agitatedly glared at her a bit, but munched on the toast and eggs in defeat. After he swallowed the last bit, he was able to speak once more. "That was unfair!"  
  
"Orange juice?" MOMO presented him the beverage, ignoring his last comment. Jr. saw that it was hopeless, but he rejected the drink.  
  
"Nah, I prefer coffee in the morning," he told her.  
  
"Coffee? You mean that black liquid that all the adults drink?"  
  
"The one and only."  
  
MOMO stuck out her tongue in distaste. "Eww, that stuff is disgusting! Shion let me try some of hers last week, and it was so bitter I wanted to spit it right out!"  
  
"Are you kidding me?" Jr. protested. "The stronger coffee is, the better it tastes!"  
  
"Nuh-uh!" MOMO disagreed. "It's nasty by itself. But if you added sugar and cream to it, it's actually not bad."  
  
Jr. raised an eyebrow. "How much are you talking?"  
  
MOMO rested her head on her right hand to think. "Let's see...last time I drank coffee I added approximately 15 and one-quarter teaspoons of sugar and a half of a liter of cream."  
  
Jr.'s mouth nearly dropped in disbelief while his Realian companion continued. "Shion said that all that cream and sugar would make it too sweet, but I thought it tasted just fine!"  
  
Jr. allowed himself to laugh heartily for the first time in months. "Man, you have a sweet tooth all right. And I thought Mary was bad!"  
  
"Sweet tooth? But Jr., teeth don't consist of any sucrose-based substances-"  
  
"No, no, that's not what I meant." Jr. cut off MOMO's intellectually factual correction. "What I mean is that you really have a craving for sweet food."  
  
"That would make a lot of sense...hey, have you ever had ice cream before?"  
  
Jr. stared at her with a bewildered, but amused, look on his face. "Um, yeah. Once or twice I think."  
  
"chaos said that there was this place that sold ice cream on Second Miltia. He said that it was really good and that he'd get me some so I can try it! Can you come with me, please?"  
  
A slight jealously arose inside of Jr., and his normally bright appearance was darkened by this feeling like a storm cloud suddenly overtaking an unsuspecting blue sky. MOMO had noticed this, and her senses had indicated that Jr.'s heart rate had increased after mentioning chaos' name. "Jr.? Are you all right?"  
  
Recognizing that MOMO was able to detect changes in his physical being as well as alterations in his mentality, Jr. made an effort to return to his cheerful state. "Yeah, I'm fine. And to answer your first question, I don't think Gaignun would mind if I took the day off for once from the bridge."  
  
"That's great news! Maybe Ziggy would come with us if I asked," MOMO placed her fork down on her empty plate and took one last gulp of her orange juice. "Thanks a lot for breakfast, Jr. It was really kind of you to bring it to me." MOMO's hands enclosed themselves in a small hug around Jr.'s right arm and her head rested against his shoulder in appreciation, the soft feel of her light scarlet hair brushing against his chin.  
  
Jr.'s cheeks blushed deeply, and he quickly stood up from the bed that his arm slipped out of MOMO's hold. "Uh, sure! Well I'll see you in a while then. Okay, bye!" He nearly ran out of MOMO's room so fast that he smacked face first into the automatic doors as he did. MOMO hurried over to his aid, but he rapidly muttered an "I'm fine" and left as soon as the doors opened. A confused MOMO stared after him as the doors shut themselves once again, and she swore that she could hear a string of curses outside of her room. 


	3. Lullaby

More than Words Can Say  
  
Chapter Three: Lullaby  
  
Jr.'s head settled behind the palms of his hands as he nonchalantly reclined on Gaignun's leather chair, his feet propped up upon the marble desk that was neatly organized, which was typical of the dark-haired man's orderliness. "So you don't mind if I go with MOMO to Second Miltia, do you?"  
  
Gaignun's deep emerald eyes appeared to be laughing at Jr. good- heartedly. "So that is why you are going, isn't it. Another opportunity to court the girl you are fond of, but haven't got the courage to ask her out officially on a date."  
  
"Hey, I'm sorry if I'm not such a mastermind on women like YOU are," Jr. snapped in retaliation. "You just like picking fun at me and her, don't you? I swear it's like a freakin' sport for Mary, Shelley, and you."  
  
Gaignun looked up from the document that he was reading. "All in good fun, Jr., I assure you. No need to get a temper."  
  
Jr. jolted up from the comfortable chair. "How many times do I have to tell you? Stop treating me like I'm a kid!" He would have denied Gaignun's implications that he had feelings for the 'daughter' of the deceased Joachim Mizrahi, but after all that has happened Jr. knew that it was not worth trying to obscure his emotions. Both Gaignun and he knew that he cares deeply about MOMO. But both U.R.T.Vs were also aware of the fact that Jr. had too much pride to ever admit openly that he had affections for her, even if the latter would not confess his own stubbornness.  
  
Jr. approached Gaignun so closely that his sapphire eyes mirrored Gaignun's green ones. "Just because you actually LOOK your age doesn't give you the authority to act like you're my parent or something!"  
  
Gaignun's level-headedness did not falter under his friend's sharp tongue. "That's not what the official documents state."  
  
"Who gives a damn what those stupid papers state!" Jr. rolled up the sleeve of his white, blue-trimmed shirt to reveal his hand in which the bright red digits '666' were inscribed upon his palm. "You see this wise guy? This means that I came three numbers before you did, making ME the older one!"  
Gaignun only chuckled. "Say what you want, but as far as anyone else knows your name is Gaignun, Jr., technically making you my son."  
  
"That's not even my real name!" A mischievous grin appeared on Jr.'s lips. "And 'Gaignun' isn't yours, NIGREDO."  
  
The younger U.R.T.V. shot a threatening look to Jr. "I do not like that name..."  
  
Jr. faked a sympathetic look of pity, while at the same time slowly backing away from Gaignun, knowing that he was walking on thin ice. "Oh, I'm sorry Nigredo, is it the way I said it? Hey, Nigredo, you don't mind if I called you Nigredo, do ya?"  
  
Gaignun was able to withstand a few more minutes of Jr.'s ridicule until he pounced on him. He trapped his head in a headlock with his strong arms, disabling Jr. from escaping. The redhead tried to pry off his attacker's arms with no success, and he cursed the scrawny preteen body he was forced to live in.  
  
"Damn you, Gaignun!" Jr. was able to shout. "You're just lucky that I'm like this, otherwise I'd kick your sorry ass-OWWWWW!"  
  
"Sorry, I can't HEAR you Rubedo," Gaignun laughed outloud as Jr. continued to struggle from his hold. "Speak a little louder when you're talking to an adult!"  
  
"You stupid jerk! YOU'RE SO DEAD AFTER THIS!"  
  
* * * *  
  
"Are you sure, Ziggy?" MOMO repeated again, holding a gray feather duster in her right hand and a bucket that contained a bottle of scented cleaning fluid and a large worn rag in the other. She slipped on a white apron, with a light green floral pattern stitched onto the white background, over her midnight blue close-fitting sailor dress. She tied an also green bandana around her hair, covering the ruby red hair clips that she wore to keep the two sections of her hair on both sides of her head up in slight pigtails and that matched the bright jewel brooch that was tied around the cloth of her neck of her outfit.  
  
The cyborg nodded with certainty. "Yes. It is best that I stay behind. I must contact the Subcommittee and give them my report. I have not been able to detail them on our situation since we landed in Second Miltia."  
  
MOMO looked into the cyborg's solemn eyes. They were pieces of cold blue ice, stern yet, miraculously, with a sense of hidden compassion in them. She always looked up to Ziggy in a way that was more than just a bodyguard: he was second father to her. He was not merely an outdated collection of scrap metal with barely any traces of his humanity left. If anything, Ziggy WAS a human. And if anyone tried to convince MOMO otherwise, she would not believe them.  
  
"You should go and enjoy yourself." Ziggy concluded. MOMO was a bit disappointed that he would not accompany her, but she understood that Ziggy had his responsibilities as all adults did to uphold.  
  
"Okay. But where will you recharge if we're taking the Elsa with us?"  
  
Ziggy smiled, a trait that was not shared commonly amongst his kind. "Do not concern yourself. The Durandal has many places where I am able to do so."  
  
That did not completely diminish MOMO's anxiety, the kind that all children had when they were unsure of matters. "All right, but when I come back I'll check to make sure that nothing is wrong with you."  
  
"That will be fine. Well, I must go before the Elsa takes off with me on it. Make sure that you do no converse with people you do not know, and do not go off by yourself. Understand?"  
  
MOMO nodded and smiled at Ziggy's parental instructions. "Don't be worried, I won't do either."  
  
The cyborg then left the small room then left the lounge area, the place that he had come to know as his own room. The mechanics in his legs sounded loudly as if he were stomping while he made his exit. MOMO was still able to hear them until he was so far away that all she heard were the electronic hums from the A.G.W.S. hangar next door.  
  
"Well, better get to work." She declared and pulled long yellow rubber gloves on her hands that went to high they covered up to her elbows.  
  
It was a long time ago since MOMO and Ziggy were rescued by the crew of the Elsa after they had barely escaped their pursuers from the asteroid Pleroma. MOMO had been grateful to Captain Matthews and the others afterwards, and she volunteered to help the maintenance robots with keep the ship clean and run small errands for the crew to thank them for allowing Ziggy and her to ride aboard their ship. It was not until later that Captain Matthews decided that it was time for MOMO to learn the satisfaction of a hard day's work. Therefore he arranged that in exchange for doing her chores, she was to get what humans called an 'allowance'. The Captain said that every child must learn the value of making their own gold, so every week Tony, Hammer, chaos, and Matthews himself would reward MOMO twenty gold each.  
  
"I'll get started under Ziggy's maintenance chair." MOMO decided, and she kneeled under the seat, swiping away any dust with her feather duster. She hummed a song that Shion had taught her while helping her in the kitchen to make dinner. The twenty-two year old told her that her brother, Jin, had taught her the words and the tune when she was five. Even though it was a silly children's song, MOMO noticed that Shion sang it with such adoration, as if she were still a little girl on Miltia singing with her older brother. MOMO came to realize that humans cherished things that would seem trivial to a common Realian or cyborg, such as music or cooking. But whatever the case, simple things like that were what made humans come together and forget their troubles: they made them happy. MOMO thought whatever lifted one's spirits was precious, no matter how pointless it appeared to be.  
  
MOMO was finished dusting underneath the chair after a few seconds. She scanned the area with her golden Realian eyes for any microscopic traces of dust. "Nope, all clean there!" She stood up from the floor and examined the rest of the lounge area. Her eyes settled upon a computer in the right corner of the room whose monitor was smudged greatly.  
  
"A little antibacterial cleanser will solve that." MOMO decided and turned around to find that her bucket was completely gone, including the rag and the cleaning fluid.  
  
"Huh? But it was right here?" She said a bit confounded. She looked around her to find her tools, and discovered that the bucket was placed beside the computer. She walked over it still questioning herself.  
  
"I just did a scanning of the room. The bucket was right behind me after I dusted the chair..." Despite her slight confusion, MOMO proceeded to clean the computer monitor, still cheerfully humming. After she was satisfied with her job, she turned around once more and to her bewilderment, her feather duster had vanished.  
  
"I put it right under the chair!" She exclaimed, searching the reclining chair for any sign of the feather duster. "My sensors would have indicated if someone was in this room or not..."  
  
It was then that it happened. MOMO could not explain it, even with her full potential as the 100-Series Observational Realian prototype. It came from outside the B2 hallway, faintly, but for sure.  
  
"Someone...is singing?" She felt her skin turn cold, little goosebumps forming on her fair skin. She moved towards the automated door and it opened promptly. MOMO stepped into the hallway, the padding of her high white boots against the cold floor echoing off the walls. "Hello?"  
  
She did not know how to explain it, but her sensors were not picking up any life form within a hundred meters from her. However, she heard a barely audible voice. She could not tell if it was masculine or feminine, but it sounded as if its owner was a child merrily singing a strangely familiar lullaby...  
  
"Wait, that was the same song I was just humming. It's the same one Shion taught me." Suddenly, MOMO detected a heat signal, and she identified it with that of an organism that was not too far away from her. She ran after it, past the complicated machinery of the B2 hallways, through the long path of automated doors. Her heart raced as her feet carried her at an unusually rapid pace as she drew near the voice, the words growing louder and louder until...  
  
She had lost the signal. It had disappeared from her sensors. She stopped running, for she knew that it was useless. All at once while she was catching her breath, something caught her eye. MOMO dashed towards it and when she came upon it, she just stared at the object in wonder. It was her gray feather duster, immobile upon the ground. MOMO bent down to pick it up with her slightly shaking hands, taken aback by what had just occurred. "Is...someone playing a trick on me?"  
  
MOMO heard laughter break the hush of the hallways, coming from behind her. She whirled around only to find no one yet again. However, the laughter was still there: it was jovial and carefree laughter, but there was a hint of child-like spitefulness within it. It was as if whoever was laughing at her was amused at her fear.  
  
MOMO felt her throat go dry. "H-hello? Anyone there?"  
  
Just then, MOMO felt a hand settle firmly onto her shoulder. Instantly all her horror poured out of her in the form of a high-pitched scream. She spun around and tried to run away but she tripped in doing so. She fell upon the hard floor, her back colliding with the cold steel surface. She closed her eyes and covered her ears, her fingers clutching onto her feather duster.  
  
"...MOMO? Are you all right?" A well-known voice inquired. She slowly opened her eyes and her shock gradually subsided when she saw the clear sea- green eyes of chaos.  
  
"chaos!? How long were you here?"  
  
"I just came down here. Didn't you hear the elevator doors opening? They're right down the hallway."  
  
MOMO looked behind chaos' lean figure and noticed the elevator that had brought chaos to the lower levels of the ship. The bronze-skinned boy reached for her rubber-gloved hand and helped her onto her feet once more.  
  
"I'm sorry that I scared you. I honestly didn't want to do that."  
  
"No it wasn't you! chaos, someone was here just now!" MOMO's eyes nervously eyed the area, still full of anxiety of the mysterious voice she had just heard. "Their signal was unfamiliar to me when I sensed them, and I was chasing them. They were singing, chaos! When I lost the signal, I heard them laugh at me. Even if my sensors did not locate them, I HEARD them laugh..."  
  
"MOMO, it's all right." chaos stated, the ends of his white-silvery bangs brushing over his brow. "No one is here, or else Tony or Hammer would have been able to pick them up on the Elsa's security detectors."  
  
MOMO's grip relaxed around the feather duster as her large boots shuffled against the ground. She was like a frightened child who thought that there were monsters under their bed, and now was being told matter-of- factly that whatever they imagined was not real at all.  
  
"But I'm not lying..." She said meekly, but she spoke the truth. That chilling laughter was not in her mind. She was a Realian: despite her naïve and innocent demeanor, her mind was as complex as any other of the 100- Series aboard the Durandal. Machines might dream, but their thoughts do not drift off into daydreams or delusions as those of many human beings.  
  
chaos kneeled until he was at MOMO's height. He took both of her frail hands into his and looked at her with the kindness and experience of a parent. "I'm not saying that you were making it up. You've been cleaning this ship for a while, MOMO. Maybe you inhaled some of the dust and it caused a glitch in your sensors."  
  
"Yes, that could be possible," MOMO responded.  
  
"When Jr. arrives, we're taking off for Second Miltia."  
  
MOMO's cherubic face lit up. "He managed to come?"  
  
"Yes. He forwarded an e-mail to the Captain and we're expecting him in another ten minutes or so."  
  
MOMO's worries washed away while chaos walked by her side back to the B2 lounge area. "Then I better get started cleaning the upper levels of the ship or I won't have the chance to see Second Miltia. Tony's room is always the messiest because he has tons of clothes thrown all over the place. And Hammer's isn't that easy to clean either on account of all the empty soda cans in his room."  
  
chaos laughed lightly. "Those guys are always going to be slobs. They're always thankful that you're able to clean the ship, or else the Elsa would be flying heap of trash."  
  
"Hey, chaos? Do you think Jr. can have ice cream with us?"  
  
"Of course Jr. can. I've seen him scarf down so chocolate sundaes the last time that we were able to get some that there's no way he could just sit there watching us eat ice cream without being tortured."  
  
MOMO's head tilted to the side, her light scarlet hair swaying against her rosy cheeks. "What's a sundae?"  
  
* * * *  
  
A dark, thin figure hid amongst the shadows as he watched the pink- haired Realian girl walk away. He had to smile at her youthful curiosity, admiring her blissful ignorance. He held out his hand to her as if to wrap his fingers around her and catch her attention, but she and the young man were gone from his sight due to the automatic doors that closed after them. He presented a dagger from his belt strap and waved it around his eyes, the silvery blade glinting from the darkness. He then ran the tip against the skin of his palm, feeling the slight pain that the kiss of the metal had presented him with. He watched as countless drops of blood seeped through the opening he had just made. It dripped from his hand, and he both hated and loved the sight of it.  
  
"MOMO...I will make you see that people like you and me are different than the others. You too will feel pain and know that it is real, for we were never meant to be children forever."  
  
SPECIAL NOTE: Okay, I'll admit it. For being a MOMO/Jr. fanfiction, this isn't very interesting. But it's called building a PLOT. If I am going to write a Xenosaga fic for people to take the time to read, then I'm going to put my heart into it. It'll be a great story, I promise you and you guys won't be kicking yourselves in the head for reading it. The next chapter won't be as creepy, I promise! Thanks again for your wonderful reviews. 'til next time! 


	4. To Sleep in Your Arms

More than Words Can Say  
  
Chapter Four: To Sleep in Your Arms  
  
Jr. sprinted with all of his speed down the corridors of the residential areas of the Durandal. He hurriedly approached the train that served as a means of transportation for those aboard the enormous ship, the long silver earring on his left ear dangling as he ran. He ran in place as the train came and the doors parted for him once he set his destination to the dock area where he told Captain Matthews he would be there in ten minutes. Jr. had kept the Elsa waiting for forty minutes.  
  
"C'mon, c'mon, move faster..." He mumbled angrily to himself as the train zipped past the numerous vicinities of the Durandal. It was a few more minutes until the doors opened for Jr. again, and he stepped out onto the dock area, where the ship was waiting for him.  
  
"Thank God, they waited!" Jr. dashed towards the Elsa and entered, careful not to harm the small package that he kept in one of the pockets of his black trench coat. "I hope she likes it."  
  
* * * *  
  
"Ah...ah...AHCHOO!!!" MOMO sneezed loudly after she accidentally inhaled some of the dust particles that were on Hammer's desktop. "Ugh, doesn't he ever dust his room?"  
  
"Apparently not," answered chaos as he served as a spectator while sitting on Hammer's neatly made bed while MOMO cleaned. He would have been happy to lend her a hand, but the Realian politely denied it, stating that it was her chore and that chaos should not trouble himself. "Remember, he is the navigator of the Elsa. Plus, he's usually arguing with the Captain or Tony."  
  
MOMO smiled as she threw all of the empty soda cans that were strewn against the desk into a large garbage bag. "They all fight so much, yet they all care about each other as a family unit. But then why does the Captain always kick the back of Hammer's chair, and Tony and Hammer yell at each other until they're both blue in the face?"  
  
chaos shrugged. "The thing about them is that they are all stubborn. They are too embarrassed to say that they think of each other as kin so they show what they can't say truthfully in funny ways. Don't worry about them though: if either one was in trouble, the other two would do anything in their power to save him. Believe me, I know."  
  
MOMO tied the bag together tightly so that the garbage that she collected from this room would not fall out. She counted all of the garbage bags that were full of discarded magazines, empty food and drink packages, torn up papers, and other inadequate paraphernalia. "I used up eighteen bags this time to pick up the junk from their rooms. That's five more than last time!"  
  
"And of course, all three men also share the trait of being extremely messy," chaos remarked humorously.  
  
MOMO was about to add to that comment, but then she had noticed that Jr. had just entered Hammer's room. He was clad in his usual long trench coat, the golden cross designs embroidered on his sleeves standing out against the mostly black cloth. He wore his neon green pants that were lined with orange stripes, and like always he left the right pant leg unzipped, revealing his bare knee, and covering the rest of his leg.  
  
Jr. was about to greet MOMO, until he saw chaos sitting on Hammer's bed. His jealously returned shortly thereafter, and once again his face appeared irritable.  
  
"Jr., you came!" MOMO chirped. She took off the bandana that she wore, exposing more of her light scarlet hair. She was untying her apron whilst chaos approached the ominous crimson-haired boy.  
  
"Nice to see that you'll be joining us to Second Miltia, Jr."  
  
Jr.'s hands placed themselves on his hips and he answered with a simple 'yeah'. His commonly warm sapphire eyes had now appeared dark and stormy.  
  
"I better go tell the Captain to take off now that you're here. MOMO, take a break already. You've spent a good deal of time cleaning the ship."  
  
MOMO had succeeded in getting her apron off and folded, so now her sailor dress was completely in view. "Don't worry about me, chaos. I'll rest as soon as I get this equipment back to the utility room." chaos left, and now only Jr. remained with MOMO.  
  
"Let me give you a hand," Jr. suggested after seeing that MOMO was somewhat struggling with one of the bulging garbage bags. Before she could protest, he was already carrying two bags over his back. "We'll get the other ones later."  
  
MOMO agreed and she followed Jr. to dispose the trash, dragging a large bag herself across the floor. With Jr.'s help, the trash was cleared in a matter of minutes as the two went back and forth to clear Hammer's room of any of the litter. After the two were done, they stopped by the utility closet to drop off MOMO's rubber gloves and bucket.  
  
"Man, I'm beat," Jr. said. "How do you do it, MOMO? How can you possibly make those guys' room sparkling clean and live to tell about it?"  
  
MOMO giggled as she placed her apron on a shelf for next week. "I'm used to it by now. Besides, it's the least I can do for all that they've done for Ziggy and me."  
  
"I still say it's pretty exhausting work." Jr. suddenly remembered about the package he kept hidden in his pocket that he wanted to give to MOMO. "Hey, I'm pretty thirsty. Why don't we-"  
  
The ground, without warning, shifted underneath their feet. The ship had finally taken off into the deep reaches of space toward the planet of Second Miltia. MOMO lost her balance and fell forward, but Jr.'s arms instinctively reached out to catch her. Her head lightly bumped against his chest, the steady sounds of his heart resonating in her ears. She felt his arms enveloped securely, but delicately around her, and she felt her own wrapping themselves around his stomach. He felt the blood rushing up to his face, but he held her regardless, as if he were dreaming and wanted to never part from that embrace. MOMO's eyes were closed, feeling the strong sense of comfort that Jr. could only provide her even though the ship was still going through a stage of turbulence as attempted to recover the shaky launch from the Durandal.  
  
Jr. was so vulnerable at that moment. He wanted to tell her everything that he had never spoke openly about. He had been waiting so long now these past months and he strived to work up the courage to tell MOMO one day how he truly felt about her. Eventually, Jr. knew about the possibility that Ziggy and her were going to go their separate ways. More detailed instructions were due anytime for Ziggy from Juli Mizrahi, the director of the Subcommittee. There is a chance that the cyborg will have new orders to go somewhere else to hide MOMO away from the Federation Government and the U-TIC Organization. It was too quiet after what happened at Proto Merkabah and he knew that there were forces that were still in pursuit of the valuable Y-data that MOMO contained. How was keeping her on a civilian ship going to prevent her from being kidnapped once more? In any case, Jr. did not want to see her leave him. He had never had this kind of adoration for anyone else before, and he could not stand for her to desert him.  
  
He must tell her. He had to convince her that no one would ever harm her again as long as she was on the Durandal. He would find some way to keep her out of the U-TIC Organization and the Federation's grasps, even if it came down to him having to fight them head on. He would protect her no matter what, just as long as she would stay with him...  
  
"MOMO, I...need to tell you something," Jr. confessed.  
  
She looked up at him, those lovely honey-colored eyes gazing innocently at him. "What is it?"  
  
It was now or never. He took a deep breath and began to speak. "I-I wanted to tell you that-"  
  
"HEY MOMO!!!" The gruff voice of Captain Matthews hollered over the intercom, startling the two 'children'. "chaos said that you did your chores. C'mon to the bridge to get your allowance!"  
  
And then there was silence. MOMO was free of a frustrated Jr.'s hold as she prepared to head over toward the bridge. "I'm sorry, Jr. What is it that you wanted to say?"  
  
Jr. only shook his head. "Nothing. It was nothing." He said dejectedly.  
  
MOMO examined his gloomy disposition. "Are you sure? I can tell Captain Matthews that I'll pick up my allowance later."  
  
"No, really! I don't wanna bother you." Jr.'s shoulders slumped as he turned to walk away. However, he felt a hand slip gently around his arm. He looked back to see the doll-like face of MOMO.  
  
"Jr., you would never be a bother to me. Listen, you said something about being thirsty. I'll meet you in the diner after I get back from the bridge and put away my money. Then we can talk all we want until we get to Second Miltia."  
  
Jr. studied her composure a bit, and he realized that she wanted to spend time with him as much as he wanted with her. He grinned enthusiastically and converted back to his old animated self. "Sure! Just don't keep me waiting long."  
  
"I won't!" MOMO then ran in the direction to the bridge where she would get her weekly payment, not knowing that Jr. watched her until she was not in his sight any longer.  
  
He walked to the diner, his boots thudding softly while tossing a few coins in the air out of boredom and whistling happily as he went on his way.  
  
* * * *  
  
"I'm here!" MOMO called out to the crew. Captain Matthews noticed her and his automated chair descended onto ground level. He walked over to the good-mannered Realian girl as she stood patiently near the entrance.  
  
"Did you do EVERYTHING that you were supposed to do?"  
  
"Yes. I cleaned the B2 lounge, helped Shion and Allen in the kitchen, and dusted and vacuumed all of the rooms. I categorized your Seraphim Sisters music collection by date, I cleaned out all the soda cans and candy wrappers in Hammer's room, and I organized all of Tony's magazines, even the ones that he put under his mattress!"  
  
Hammer and Captain Matthews burst into laughter after MOMO's last statement while chaos shook his head from his place in front of his computer monitor. Tony's face turned red, but he could not say anything in his defense because he was in charge of piloting the ship.  
  
"Captain!" chaos interrupted the laughing men and shot a look at them. "MOMO is still here."  
  
Matthews wiped away the tears from his eyes. "Okay, okay. Here," he placed two coins worth twenty gold in her hands. "Good job."  
  
"MOMO, catch!" Hammer informed her and into her opened hands landed another two coins. "Thanks for getting all that food out of my room!"  
  
chaos walked over to MOMO and presented her with four coins. "This is what Tony and I owe you."  
  
MOMO smiled in gratefulness. "Thank you all."  
  
Matthews took a cigarette from his pocket and put it to his lips. "No problem, kid. Just move along now and find something to do. It's gonna be a while until we're in Second Miltia's atmosphere."  
  
MOMO obeyed and left the bridge to deposit her money into the piggy bank she kept onboard her room on the Elsa, while Matthews and Hammer proceeded with their laughing and taunting of the humiliated Tony, who fought back by claiming that he was only a human man.  
  
* * * *  
  
"Hey, can I have a cup of black coffee here?" Jr. asked the maintenance robot that was in charge of taking care of the diner.  
  
"I AM SORRY SIR, BUT WE ARE OUT OF THE BEVERAGE YOU HAVE REQUESTED. THE CREW HAD CONSUMED IT 24 HOURS AGO."  
  
"Man, no coffee? Well, what about some root beer?"  
  
"WE ARE OUT OF STOCK." The robotic voice responded.  
  
"Orange soda?"  
  
"OUT OF STOCK."  
  
"Grape soda?"  
  
"OUT OF STOCK."  
  
"...any kind of soda?"  
  
"OUT OF STOCK."  
  
"Damn it!" Jr. slammed his fist down upon the table. "What the hell does Matthews use all those funds that Gaignun is always giving him? Do you have ANY caffeine left on this ship!?"  
  
"Um, do you have any lemonade left?" A feminine voice requested.  
  
"YES, I SHALL PREPARE TWO GLASSES RIGHT AWAY."  
  
MOMO approached the booth Jr. was sitting in and she seated herself next to him. As stated, the robot wheeled itself to them and placed a tray, on which sat two tall glasses of ice and cool lemonade stood, onto the tabletop.  
  
"IF YOU WILL BE NEEDING MY SERVICES, I WILL BE IN THE KITCHEN." With that, the robot scooted away, and once again MOMO and Jr. were alone.  
  
"What did you want to talk to me about?" MOMO asked after taking a sip of her lemonade.  
  
Jr. took out something from his trench coat and presented it to MOMO. It was a rectangle-shaped package covered in pink wrapping paper and tied with a red and gold bow. "Go on and open it."  
  
MOMO took the gift in her hands and slowly untied the ribbon and tore through the wrapping paper. She discovered a thick book with a hardbound dark blue cover. Yellow lines traced the border of the book and around the small-printed title, "Fairy Tales for Children". She flipped through all the pages, the musky odor filling her nostrils, and she could make out small black and white pictures in certain sections of the book.  
  
"This is a book that I had for a while now. A long time ago in a country called Germany, these guys named the Grimm brothers collected a whole bunch of stories and published them all together. These stories were really interesting stuff, but back then, they were about political and complicated moral matters and were full of graphic scenes. So as time went on, the stories were altered so that they would be suitable for children to read. A lot of kids loved these stories and passed it on to later generations. When Lost Jerusalem was gone, these 'fairy tales' as people knew them to be were almost forgotten."  
  
"Jr., you shouldn't have given me something that's so valuable!" MOMO scolded lightly.  
  
"It's all right. I've been through that book a hundred of times and I've read through all the stories. Whenever I read it I felt relaxed by them, so I want to give it to you so that you'd be able to sleep better at night."  
  
MOMO's eyes appeared somewhat nervous. "W-where did you hear that I've had trouble sleeping?"  
  
"Shion told me at breakfast today. She found you asleep near the window in your room and said that you didn't look like you were able to rest easily."  
  
MOMO's was relieved, glad that chaos had kept his word to not tell anyone about her nightmare. "Oh, that...I'm sorry that I worried you."  
  
"It's not a big deal," Jr. assured her. "I just thought that you would really like this book. I wanted you to have so that you'd be calmed by them before you went to bed when I'm not able to be there with you."  
  
MOMO blushed slightly at Jr.'s last statement. "Thank you so much. I'll always treasure this book. But, can I ask you for a favor?"  
  
"Shoot."  
  
"Can...can you read one of the stories to me?"  
  
Jr. smiled warmly. "Of course I can." He turned to the first page while MOMO moved closer beside him, their faces almost near to him. "This one is called 'Cinderella'." He began telling the story while MOMO listened with her full attention while resting against his shoulder. The ice cubes in their glasses were melting slowly and diluting the lemonade, but neither one of them seemed to care. MOMO's face changed expressions during specific parts of the story: she frowned when she heard how cruel the heroine's stepmother and stepsisters treated her, but she smiled when her fairy godmother came to her aid using her magic and when Cinderella had fallen in love with the handsome prince. The minutes flew by but MOMO and Jr. did not realize it: they only knew that the other one was there, and that was all that mattered to them.  
  
"And then Cinderella and the prince married, and they lived happily ever after," Jr. concluded. "So what did you think, MOMO?"  
  
The Realian girl did not answer, the reason being that she had fallen asleep. It did not come as a surprise for Jr.: she was worn out from cleaning the ship. He gingerly moved his shoulder so that her head fell softly upon his chest. He slipped off his trench coat and wrapped it around her lithe form as means to keep her warm while she slumbered. He touched her hand, and smiled upon seeing the charm bracelet she wore around her fragile wrist. He had given to her a while back: he melded an old bullet to a gold thin chain for her. The bullet gave off a faint copper glow and had the words 'Sayonara, baby!' engraved upon its scratched surface. It meant a lot to him that she still wore it. She was his purpose in life: she was the one that he held closest to his heart even if he was not able to tell her.  
  
Jr. shut his eyes and lay against the wall with MOMO snuggling comfortably against his chest. He fell asleep, knowing that the person he loved was safe and sound in his own arms.  
  
SPECIAL NOTE: There, a MOMO/Jr. scene! I hope you guys are happy, 'cause a lot more stuff is going to happen when the Elsa gets to Second Miltia. As for the last chapter, sorry for making it creepy but as I said, I want to give you guys a good story. Don't worry, there will be more interactions between MOMO and Jr. and, gasp, another appearance by the shadowy figure in Chapter 3! As always, thank you for all of your reviews! I'm happy that you're enjoying this story! 


	5. Anxiety

More than Words Can Say  
  
Chapter Five: Anxiety  
  
"There it is," Allen said in amazement as the large planet came into view. It was beautiful: a blue and green sphere encircled in wisps of white that hung in the cold depths of space.  
  
"Second Miltia," Shion whispered. "It always looks so wonderful every time I see it."  
  
"We're going to enter the atmosphere in fifteen minutes," Hammer informed them. "The weather is mild and sunny today, so landing shouldn't be a problem."  
  
"That's always nice to hear," Matthews declared, taking a long drag from his cigarette. "Hey, I haven't seen Little Master anywhere lately. chaos, go find where they are."  
  
"Sure," he answered, knowing that wherever Jr. was, MOMO would be there as well. She would have wanted to been notified since she was looking forward to going to Second Miltia.  
  
He left the bridge in search of Little Master and the Realian girl. He walked past the cabins, figuring that neither would be there since MOMO already completed her chores. As the vending machine came into sight, his intuition had picked up something. He looked to his left near the machine and there was someone waiting for him. Her orange hair flowed like a waterfall down the back of her plain white dress, and as always she had worn a small golden cross around her neck. Her hands were clasped behind her, a strange aura glowing around her in the form of a supernatural white light and her vivid blue eyes stared at chaos with an indefinable look of solemnity.  
  
"It's you..." chaos simply acknowledged her. The small girl nodded and pointed with her index finger in the direction of the Elsa's diner.  
  
* * * *  
  
A voice of insatiable madness echoed through the darkness. She ran for the sake of running, not caring which direction was north, south, east, or west. Her feet carried her, where she did not know. The only sounds she heard were the malicious laughter that has haunted her for so long and the rapid beats of her heart.  
  
"Just go away!" She cried, too afraid to even shed tears. "What do you want from me!?"  
  
Without warning, a great explosion of light engulfed her and obliterated the shadows that surrounded her. She shut her eyes tightly to protect them from the blinding luminosity. She suddenly felt her body falling, as if gravity jerked her feet and now sent her plummeting into oblivion.  
  
The light cleared and she opened her eyes slowly to see that she had landed harmlessly on concrete. Everything was enshrouded in a gray mist, rain coming down in the form of fat raindrops and then splashing onto the ground. An unnatural wind blew past her as the sound of thunder rumbled through the gray sky. She looked up at the depressing clouds, the rain splattering against her smooth skin and dripping from the ends of her light pink hair. She walked through the mist, cautious of her every step.  
  
"BURN IN HELL YOU BASTARD!" a male voice furiously called out. Three shots were fired and MOMO could see a few shining points of golden light glittering through the blanket of mist. She came to the conclusion that a battle was ensuing and three bullets had just been discarded from a gun that one of the combatants was using.  
  
"Jr.!!!" She yelled worriedly and ran at full speed toward the struggling. The frigid touch of the curtains of rain or the uncanny howling of the wind did not affect her any longer: she only was aware that Jr. was possibly in danger and that she must get there before he was harmed.  
  
Through the mist she saw his vivid crimson hair and his intense blue eyes. He was firing his antique gun at something that she could not see, cursing and shouting the whole entire time. She was only a few feet away from him and was about to call out his name, but a burst of electrifying green energy flashed through the heavy mist and made contact with Jr.'s chest. His beloved weapon dropped from his hand, his face was wracked with an inexpressible pain, his eyes alive with anguish as his body reared back and started to fall.  
  
"JR.!!!" MOMO cried. She raced to him, cutting through the freezing rain and extending out her right hand to him. He caught it at the last minute, the action causing his injured body to collide with something solid. It was then that MOMO saw that she was on top of a building of some sort: she had to have been, for she could distinguish that below Jr.'s dangling feet were vague lights of various colors shining faintly through more sheets of rolling gray fog.  
  
She fought with all her might to prevent Jr. from dropping to his death, both of her hands tightly clutching his. Although she had put forth all of her strength that her Realian body could muster, Jr. was still heavier than her and the rain caused her hold onto him to be slippery. She could feel his fingers sliding slowly from her fragile ones.  
  
"Jr., hold on!" She shouted over the booming thunder. "Don't let go! Please just don't let go!!!"  
  
She clung to his hands as long as he could, but gradually his hand loosened from her desperate grip, each finger escaping one by one. He stared up at her, his dying eyes losing their brilliant luster. The blood ran from his chest, staining the blue cross emblem on his white shirt. He saw that she was crying and his other limp hand went to reach out to her as to console her. However, he slipped away from her grasp, declining into the mist underneath him. The ends of his long trench coat flew against his body like two broken wings, the wind whistling deafeningly through his red hair as he was swallowed by the devouring mist and never to be seen again.  
  
MOMO sat there on the rooftop, trying to figure out what had just happened. In Realian terms the event could be summed up as this: the captain of the Durandal known as Gaignun Kukai, Jr. had been critically injured by a concentrated stream of phenomenal energy, damaging his chest cavity where his heart was located and thus the force was powerful enough to send him off balance off an extremely tall man-made structure and ultimately, due to the fact that his weight was greater than that of the 100-Series who attempted to rescue him, to his death. Although she was composed of machinery, MOMO could not understand anything that she had witnessed. To know what took place was one thing, while trying to comprehend it was another.  
  
The lonely MAKAROV gun rested upon the ground where Jr. had involuntarily allowed it to fall from his grip. MOMO picked it up: there were still traces of his body heat that remained on the handle and the trigger where he had held it. She clasped it closely to her chest as she wept, unable to hold back her sobs.  
  
"No..." She whimpered. "He can't-he isn't...Jr...please come back!!!"  
  
She heard footsteps splashing upon the rain-soaked concrete ground. They stopped directly behind her, while at the same time MOMO was too traumatized to care: she only held onto the gun as comfort, pleading that she would see Jr. again.  
  
"Do not worry," a soothing, yet ominous, male voice told her. MOMO lifted her head up against the rain and saw a figure above her. His stature was short and thin and hidden by the darkness, like that of someone her age. Another lightning bolt danced wildly across the sky and reflected clearly in the eyes of the stranger: they were so much like Jr.'s, yet so much more different than his. They were child-like: keen with a sense of unquenched curiosity. But there was something bizarre about them. There was a hunger in those grim eyes, a craving for something, whether tangible or not, that the stranger had not yet satisfied.  
  
He bent down on his knees and placed his cold hands upon her small shoulders. "You should not shed your tears for someone as wicked as he."  
  
She could no longer see his eyes in the fettering darkness. "Wicked? Jr...Jr. wasn't wicked."  
  
His hand touched her cheek, the feel of it both familiar and alien to her. "I shall care for you now. I swear that I will never let anyone defile you as he did..."  
  
MOMO woke, freeing herself of the chains of another horrible dream. She saw that a slightly snoring Jr. was beside her with his arm comfortably around her and that she had been sleeping in the warmth of his trench coat. MOMO reached out her hand to touch his youthful face and her fingers ran through the messy ruby tufts of his hair to make sure that he was real, that he was breathing. She placed a hand upon the spot that she had seen the jet of energy go right through him: she could feel his heart beating normally. Her fears still not appeased, she gave his cheek a pinch-a very hard one.  
  
"OWWWW!!!" Jr. yelped. His eyes were wide open, traces of grogginess and aggravation to them. He immediately put a hand on his face to rub the ache of where MOMO had pinched him. "What'd you do that for!?"  
  
"Jr...are you really all right?" MOMO asked, holding her breath anxiously for his answer.  
  
"I was until you pinched me!" He snapped back, still rubbing his cheek.  
  
Crystalline tears formed in MOMO's round eyes as she threw her arms around a baffled Jr. "Oh Jr., you're okay!" She cried out joyfully. "I was so scared!"  
  
Jr.'s irritation faded after hearing MOMO's choked sobs and feeling her tears soaking through his shirt. He hugged her as well, guilt slowly building in him for yelling at her. "Hey, everything's fine. You don't need to cry." Jr.'s fingers traced the soft curve of her cheek.  
  
MOMO gazed at him with those adorable eyes of hers: gleaming orbs of amber that shone only the innocence and benevolence of her nature. "I'm sorry...it's just that..." MOMO did not continue on. She did not want to know what she had just dreamt now. No, he COULD NOT know. There was no way that she could bring herself to burden Jr. by telling him about theses frightening images. Besides, how could she explain something that she herself did not completely understand?  
  
Jr. was waiting for her to continue. "It's just that what? MOMO, what happened-"  
  
"MOMO!!!" The normally collected voice of chaos yelled out as the doors breached open from him. He saw the couple in a booth near him and he ran towards the Realian girl with shaking breaths.  
  
"What are you doing here?" There was a tone of bitterness to Jr.'s voice.  
  
chaos quickly regained his composure. "MOMO, the Captain said that we were going to enter Second Miltia's atmosphere in a little while," he informed her comfortingly as she left her seat with Jr.'s long trench coat still around her shoulders. By looking at her tear-stained face, chaos understood that she just had another nightmare as she did this morning. "There isn't any need to cry. I'm still going to get you an ice cream cone when we get there like I promised you."  
  
MOMO managed a smile, her bottom lip shaking from trying to control her crying. "Th-thank you." The Realian then collected the pink bits that remained of the wrapping paper and the red ribbon that had once bound it around the gift Jr. had given her. She took the book as well, carefully handling it like a precious treasure.  
  
"You should get to the bridge. Everyone else is there," chaos said, and MOMO nodded and hurried off, her feathery hair bobbing from her head as she went.  
  
Jr. was once again crestfallen for having his time with MOMO cut so shortly. What ate at his insides even more was the fact that she was crying just now, and he did not know what had caused her to do so.  
  
"Jr.," he heard chaos speak. The redhead attempted to keep his feelings of dislike for the tan-skinned young man from showing.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"You should go after her," the seriousness that chaos implicated in his statement both surprised and bothered Jr. "I think she would want someone to be with her right now."  
  
Jr. stared back at chaos, bewilderment churning in the depths of his sky blue eyes, but he put on his black trench coat that was laying on the booth and left after MOMO to catch up with her. chaos heard the doors close after him, a positive sign that he was now alone. His eyes searched the diner as he stood completely still. He strained his ears to try and catch any sound, any noise in the diner. The air was quiet and calm but chaos was not at ease.  
  
"She would never be wrong," he said critically. "Both she and I sensed someone here..."  
  
He stood there for a few more minutes and gave up his effort. He left the diner and there was silence once again except for the amused chuckles of a figure from the shadows.  
  
* * * *  
  
"Shion, nice to see you again!" A man enthusiastically welcomed Shion as she and the rest of the group approached her home. Long strands of his raven hair fell down the sides of his face and past his broad shoulders, but they did not conceal his eyes, both perplexing and friendly. "I see that you brought company with you this time."  
  
Shion nodded and stepped aside to introduce the party. "Yes, these are all my friends. These four men are the crew of the Elsa," after she presented them, Captain Matthews signaled Tony, Hammer, and chaos to greet their host. "This is Gaignun, Jr., he's the captain of the Durandal and helps direct the Kukai Foundation," Jr. nodded promptly upon being acknowledged. "This is MOMO," the pink-haired girl smiled shyly, "and this is Allen, who is a fellow worker from Vector."  
  
Jin shook hands with everyone and kindly escorted them into his house. Jr. was overcome with the desire to cough heavily after he entered the living room. "Is there something burning in here?"  
  
The elder Uzuki panicked and rushed into his kitchen. "Oh no, lunch!"  
  
Shion shook her head and ran after him. "I told you that you're supposed to watch the stove while you cook, not read those silly books at the same time!" She turned back to her friends and smiled embarrassedly at them. "I'm sorry guys, but I have to help Jin before he burns the house down. Make yourselves at home. It'll be a while until lunch is ready." With that, she disappeared after her brother.  
  
Captain Matthews, Tony, and Hammer sighed contentedly as they dropped onto the cozy couches that were arranged tidily in the spacious living room. MOMO sank into the comfort of a large chair and Allen stood in the center of the room, carefully examining the house as the smoke from the kitchen gradually cleared.  
  
"Man, Chief's brother doesn't clean very much," Allen commented after seeing the state that the living room was in. The coffee table was littered with old books, the furniture needed to be dusted badly, and some of the pillows were just thrown around the couches in a worthless attempt to organize them. Jr. now noticed some of the aged books on the table and in interest, picked one of them up and began reading it while sitting on of the left arm of the chair that MOMO was resting on.  
  
"It's pretty cozy, I'd say," Tony said while stretching his arms and letting out a loud yawn. Hammer had obviously agreed since he was napping soundly next to him.  
  
"Geez, I'm starving," Matthews remarked, holding his stomach with his hand. The others concurred, the grumbling of empty stomachs sounding in the room.  
  
MOMO looked to her left where Jr. was absorbed into the yellow-tinted pages of the book he read eagerly in his hands. Boredom settled into the little Realian's mind, so she left her cushioned seat and headed towards the smoke- filled kitchen.  
  
She coughed a bit when entering, where she found a frustrated Shion holding a large tin plate in her hands in which a burning roast was settled, the flames rising rapidly from the nearly black piece of meat. Shion carefully placed the ruined meal upon the circular table beside her with her hands, which were protected by oven mitts. "Jin, put it out already!"  
  
Jin drew near the flames with a red fire extinguisher and smothered the fire with a blast of cold, bubbly substance that shot out onto the meat. In a few seconds the fire had died and all that was left was a rather large piece of now inedible meat.  
  
"Guess I shouldn't read my novel while cooking lunch, huh?" He sheepishly stated.  
  
Shion's hands were on her hips as she glared at her older brother. "You know better than that! How many times must I tell you that you always have to pay attention when you're in the kitchen!?"  
  
"Do you need any help, Shion?" MOMO timidly interrupted the quarreling siblings.  
  
Shion sighed and smiled at the little girl. "No, I don't want you to burn yourself. That plate is pretty hot. We're going to go out to the city to eat lunch. Why don't you tell the others to get ready?"  
  
MOMO remembered that a certain silver-haired person was missing from the living room. "Have you seen chaos?"  
  
"No, because I was too busy preventing us from being killed by my careless brother's cooking," Shion hissed, throwing another dangerous glance to Jin.  
  
"Uh, do you mean the boy in the blue and orange clothes? You should check in the backyard," Jin suggested while putting back the fire extinguisher.  
  
"Thank you." MOMO left the two Uzuki siblings to clean up the mess by opening the backdoor that led from the kitchen and into Jin's courtyard.  
  
* * * *  
  
The noon sun was shining brilliantly in the center of a clear blue sky. A spring breeze wafted through the tree branches, all wrapped in bright green leaves, and whispered playfully through his hair, which was so silver that each strand looked like glossy slivers of the moon. His deep emerald eyes looked out to the wide ocean in front of him, the sun rays reflecting off the surface of the water, but even its light could not penetrate the bottomlessness of the dark depths. Sea gulls screeched in the air like drifting paper planes and the salty crisp smell of the ocean filled his senses. Still, he was far too troubled to be enthralled in the beauty of the scenery around him.  
  
"Someone was on the Elsa. I do not know why the ship's security sensors did not detect anything, but I sensed someone. We both did."  
  
He remembered the ginger-haired girl with the piercing blue eyes, pointing in the direction of the diner. "She knew there was someone hiding there. She was warning me." chaos picked up a lonely pebble from the grass and thrust it into the water as hard as it could. He watched as skipped across the glassy surface and finally sank to the bottom, the ripples it caused spreading out in multiple rings. "It's been too calm since Proto Merkabah. I fear that there will be hardships in the near future. If that is the case, then neither of them might be safe..."  
  
He was too overwhelmed by his thoughts that he did not realize that MOMO had just come out into the courtyard from Jin's kitchen to look for him. Once she discovered him standing near an ancient tree watching the ocean from the cliff that jutted out of the landscape, she ran to him. "chaos!"  
  
He heard his name being called and looked toward MOMO, the white flaps of her sailor dress slightly moving as she ran. "We have to go. Shion said that we're all going out to eat lunch."  
  
chaos simply nodded as a gesture that he understood. MOMO took note of his melancholy expression. "What's wrong?"  
  
"It's nothing," he answered, trying to conceal his fears.  
  
MOMO's yellow eyes, full of concern, searched his face. "You know, for someone who is always helping everyone else your eyes sure look sad."  
  
chaos, a bit startled by MOMO's statement, smiled. "You sound like an adult."  
  
MOMO's feet shuffled among the grass. "It's just that you look so gloomy sometimes. You're always willing to lend a hand to others, but you never let anyone else do the same for you. And that's why I worry about you sometimes."  
  
She fell silent, perhaps waiting for chaos to respond. He just gaped at her in slight astonishment. Although she was a Realian, MOMO was full of surprises. She did not act as any other, but what was so amazing about her was that she actually cared about people and was very honest as a real child would have been. Not wanting her to bothered by him any longer, chaos shook his head.  
  
"You shouldn't worry about me, I'm fine. Now we should go. Knowing the Captain's appetite he's probably gnawing away at the couch by now."  
  
MOMO giggled as she and chaos headed towards to the kitchen. He looked over his shoulder to take one more look at the ocean, his mysterious eyes feasting on the breathtaking but mystifying waters.  
  
SPECIAL NOTE: Okay, now things are going to start rolling here. As I promise, I will have more MOMO/Jr. interactions in the future. Sorry for not updating in a LONG time, I just got finished with finals. I shall be writing more often now. Thank you for all your wonderful reviews (you all know who you are!). I'm glad you loved Chapter 4! But this story is still bound to have plenty of surprises, so be ready! ^_^ 


	6. Summer on Second Miltia

More than Words Can Say  
  
Chapter Six: Summer on Second Miltia  
  
Jin gawked over a small ceramic bowl of steamed rice at the crew of the Elsa as they stuffed their faces with mounds of hot food. The only one who was eating at a regular pace was the peculiar chaos, who was neatly eating his bowl of rice while trying to maintain a look of dignity as his fellow crewmates were consuming their food ravenously.  
  
"This is some good grub!" Matthews commented between mouthfuls of rice and stir-fried broccoli and carrots. Tony nodded as he ate a leg of roasted chicken, tearing the succulent meat clean off the bone. Hammer held a bowl of hot and sour soup to his lips and he began to down the contents.  
  
"Um...yes, this is one of my favorite restaurants here in the city," Jin nervously stated, trying to help himself to another bowl of steamed rice in fear of losing his hand in the feeding frenzy. "The chefs here cook according to the traditional recipes that the chefs of Lost Jerusalem once used."  
  
Shion, Allen, MOMO, and Jr. were not phased by the gluttonous appetites of the crew: all of them had been around Matthews, Tony, and Hammer long enough that they were accustomed to how hungry each man could get.  
  
"What have you been doing all this time, Jin?" Shion asked after taking a spoonful from her soup.  
  
Jin managed to get a second helping of rice. "Not much. Just brushing up on my sword techniques, adding to my library-"  
  
Shion rolled her eyes from behind her silver-framed glasses. "More books? Jin, you really should get out more."  
  
The older Uzuki did not back down. "Oh, and keeping yourself cooped up in some laboratory without saying a word to your family for two years just so you can build an android is better than me reading?"  
  
"You mean KOS-MOS!? At least I'm doing something productive you lazy bum!"  
  
Allen grabbed Shion by the arm. "Chief, please! We're in public!"  
  
"Allen, don't stop me!" Shion yelled and she turned back to her dark- haired brother. "KOS-MOS is a lot more use to anyone else than those ancient piles of papers you call 'books'!"  
  
"At least neither of my books has ever called me a 'good-for-nothing brother'!" Jin fought back.  
  
"Hey, can someone pass the fried shrimp?" Matthews nonchalantly asked.  
  
"Captain!" chaos nudged Matthews in the ribs. "They're a bit busy right now."  
  
"Shion, Mr. Uzuki, please stop!" MOMO attempted to shout over the squabbling brother and sister.  
  
Jr. halted the little Realian by placing a hand on her wrist. "Just let them go, MOMO. It's better this way."  
  
MOMO's radiant eyes pleaded to understand the U.R.T.V.'s concept. "But Jr..."  
  
"Trust me." Jr. reached over with his chopsticks to snatch a piece of stir-fried broccoli. The thick sauce began to drip over the vegetable as it was settled between the utensils that Jr. skillfully held with his fingers. "C'mon, this stuff is great. You ought to try it."  
  
MOMO smiled and Jr. fed her the broccoli while the rest of the restaurant's customers stared in shock at the devouring crew of the Elsa and the fighting siblings.  
  
* * * *  
  
Mary Godwin rushed through the hallways of the Durandal, quickly apologizing to those she had bumped into while at the same time trying to maintain her speed. She spotted Gaignun's office at the far end of the hallway and she slammed the double doors open, startling her boss from his paperwork.  
  
"Master Gaignun!" She cried out, her blonde curls somewhat in disarray from running. "Ships from the Space Federation have just stopped us and they demand that we let them on board!"  
  
A slight look of distress crossed Gaignun's olive green eyes, but he preserved his calm disposition. He entered a command into the computer that sat on his marble desk and a holographic screen appeared before him. A middle-aged man now faced him, and judging by all of the badges and medals he donned on his Federation uniform, Gaignun knew that the man was of high rank.  
  
"Gaignun Kukai, Director of the Kukai Foundation," the man addressed him in his gruff voice. "We insist that you grant us permission to board the Durandal."  
  
"And why would that be?" Gaignun coolly asked.  
  
"We have a legal warrant that allows us to board your ship," the man coldly began, "We have reason to believe that the Kukai Foundation was behind the near destruction of the planet Second Miltia. Therefore, the presence of Federation officers are required on the Durandal for a time span of at least three weeks or as long as I see fit."  
  
"Three weeks!?" Mary exclaimed in her accented voice. Gaignun held up his hand as a gesture to stop her from saying anymore.  
  
"If you must board my ship then do as you please," his suave voice invited. "However, I do not believe that you will find any proof to support your suspicions."  
  
"Do not test me," the officer threatened viciously. "I will be the judge of that. The Kukai Foundation has been given far too much freedom of their own affairs for too long. My soldiers and I will be monitoring your every move, so don't get cocky." The image then disappeared into nothing, but the hostile words of the Federation officer still rung in a nervous Mary's ears.  
  
"How long are they staying?" A deep voice questioned. Gaignun's eyes looked to the opened doors of his office where Ziggy and the battle android known as KOS-MOS stood.  
  
"At least three weeks I was told," Gaignun answered.  
  
"I am detecting exactly forty-three heat signatures that are entering the Durandal," KOS-MOS informed them all. "They are all concentrated in a full group at the dock."  
  
"Probably assigning their posts," Ziggy reflected.  
  
"Master Gaignun, what are we going to do!?" Mary implored, anxiety swirling in her bright blue eyes. "We weren't the ones who planned on destroying Second Miltia! If anything, Little Master and the others saved it!"  
  
Gaignun shook his head. "Calm down. I am certain that a few high- ranking officers know that we weren't the ones who plotted a course on the Proto Merkabah to crash into Second Miltia. But seeing how the public is not aware as to whom actually was responsible, this is a perfect excuse for the Federation to force themselves on the Durandal. This is all just another elaborate plan."  
  
"What plan!?" Mary yelled, but then she was struck suddenly by a realization. "Oh no, you mean they're after...?"  
  
"There is no doubt that this is another effort to seize MOMO," Ziggy confirmed.  
  
Mary stomped her foot, her curls swinging abruptly under the blue cap she wore. "All this just to capture MOMO? Why can't they leave that poor girl alone already!?"  
  
"They Federation soldiers have split up into seven groups of six and are now spreading out onboard the various corridors of the Durandal," KOS- MOS notified in her emotionless voice. "I sense that one group in addition to one other person are heading toward this destination. They will arrive in approximately nine minutes and thirty-five seconds." Although any human would be on the verge of panic, KOS-MOS remained unshaken; the blood-red voids of her eyes did not show a trace of fear as she stood completely motionless, her light blue hair streaming gracefully down her back.  
  
"When is Little Master going to come back from Second Miltia?" Mary asked.  
  
"He said that he would be back in the evening," Gaignun answered. "If the soldiers see MOMO coming onboard the Durandal, I know that they will make up some other excuse and take her into their custody."  
  
"Gaignun, we must contact them," Ziggy commanded. "We have to figure something out to keep MOMO out of the Federation's grasp."  
  
Gaignun nodded, the tranquility in his deep green eyes never wavering. "I'll make a call to Jr. right now."  
  
* * * *  
  
"Man, I'm full," Matthews declared as he chewed on the end of a toothpick.  
  
"Well, I guess that we should pay the bill--" Shion was interrupted by a loud ringing that was coming from the right pocket of Jr.'s trenchcoat. He took out his communication device and a holographic screen appeared with the touch of a button.  
  
"Gaignun?" Jr. instantly felt that something had gone awry on the Durandal.  
  
"Jr., the Federation has ordered soldiers to monitor the Durandal," Gaignun composedly, but urgently, explained. As he talked, the rest of the company gathered around Jr. to listen in on the information. "They will be here in my office in a matter of minutes. You know as well as I do that despite what happened at Proto Merkabah, the Federation is still in pursuit of the Y-Data."  
  
MOMO moved in her seat uneasily, but chaos calmed her by placing his gloved hands on her small shoulders. A hint of animosity was present on Jr.'s young face, but he did his best to conceal it. "So they think they can trap us like rats, do they? Just wait 'til I get there-"  
  
"No, Little Master!" Mary cried out in panic. "They'll snatch MOMO away as soon as they see her!"  
  
"She is right," the cold voice of Ziggy could be heard.  
  
MOMO's eyes lit up upon hearing him. "Ziggy!"  
  
Jr. noticed that she yearned to talk to her cyborg guardian. "Hey Gaignun, put Ziggy on the screen."  
  
The sable-haired U.R.T.V. obeyed and the sharp blue eyes and blonde slicked hair of Ziggy could be seen. "MOMO, and the rest of you, please listen to Gaignun. As stated, the Federation soldiers have been stationed on the Durandal and are watching our every move. KOS-MOS has just told us we have less than ten minutes to think of something. If any of you were to come back, I know for a fact that there will be an uproar which will lead to their confiscation of MOMO."  
  
"Ziggy," MOMO seemed to plead to her bodyguard. "What if I just turn myself in? That way the Federation will stop making trouble for the Kukai Foundation..."  
Everyone nearly jumped at MOMO's comment, Jr. especially. However, MOMO continued. "I'm what they're after. Maybe if I let them take me they will leave Mr. Gaignun, Shelley, Mary, and everyone else alone."  
  
"MOMO, you cannot do that. I will not allow it," There was a tone of emphasis in Ziggy's voice. "And that's final. Please let me continue. The Federation will be onboard the Durandal for at least three weeks. Until then, we cannot allow them to have any opportunity whatsoever to take away MOMO. We must think of a plan, and quick."  
  
"Um...I have a suggestion," Jin timidly remarked. Everyone's eyes shifted over to him. "My house is big enough for all of you to stay in. Why don't you just live with me until everything is in order?"  
  
"We can't ask you to do that," Shion refused, her jade green eyes looking bothered behind her glasses. "I don't want you to get caught up in this, Jin."  
  
"No, no, really. I insist that all of you stay here on Second Miltia with me. After a month or so, the Federation will be bound to leave the Durandal if they no longer have any reason to stay."  
  
"But Jin-"  
  
"Shion, please listen to your brother," KOS-MOS sounded. "If all of you were to remain where you are, the Federation will come to the conclusion that there is no supporting evidence to prove that neither the Durandal nor the Kukai Foundation was responsible for the near devastation of Second Miltia. Even though there is still a 33.87534% that the Federation will find MOMO on Second Miltia, this will grant us the highest probability of success that they will not be able to do so."  
  
"KOS-MOS...what about you?" Shion questioned, doubt lingering in her mind about the safety of her creation. "What if they do something to you?"  
  
"Do not worry. I am more than capable to protect myself against any hostile forces. However, I will keep a low profile on the Durandal to prevent any more suspicions from surfacing." KOS-MOS responded, the clarity of her mechanical voice never faltering.  
  
"We will take care of ourselves," Ziggy reassured them.  
  
"Can I say something?" Ziggy nodded and moved aside for Mary to come into view. "Seeing how KOS-MOS says that there still is a chance that MOMO will be spotted by the Federation there, I think y'all should get a new wardrobe for her."  
  
"Mary, this is a serious matter. I do not think that shopping for clothes is going to solve this predicament," Gaignun criticized.  
  
Mary's face turned toward the direction of her boss, a slight frown on her glossy lips. "That's not what I mean, Master Gaignun!" She focused back to the party. "What I meant is that them Realian clothes that MOMO's wearing are cute, don't get me wrong-"  
"Get to the point!" Jr. shouted in agitation.  
  
"I'm getting there! I'm saying that those clothes that MOMO's wearing stick out like a sore thumb in the public! If the Federation sees her, they'll recognize her and know that she is the one that they're after!"  
  
"If MOMO's pursuers are unable to identify her, the chances of the Federation finding her are reduced to 20.43552%," KOS-MOS added.  
  
"See, I told you!" Mary cheerfully affirmed. "Anyway, those soldiers are coming pretty soon, so bye everyone! Little Master, don't you let anything happen to MOMO now, you hear?"  
  
"Just get going already!" Jr. yelled in his embarrassment, his cheeks taking a rosy tinge to them. Mary winked and left the screen so that now KOS-MOS and Ziggy were shown.  
  
"MOMO, be careful," Ziggy cautioned the Realian. "I will contact you again when it is safe to do so."  
  
"Shion, Allen, please stay alert," KOS-MOS instructed.  
  
Gaignun was now visible on the holographic screen. "Captain Matthews, I want you to make a quick stop to the Durandal."  
  
"You expect me to go back after what you just told me!?" Matthews complained.  
  
"Don't worry. The Elsa is a cargo ship. The Federation wouldn't suspect it at all."  
  
"Yeah, but won't they think something is up since the Elsa left just a few hours before they barged in-"  
  
"Shelley is converting the flight records as we speak. As of now, they have no idea when the Elsa took off or where any of you are."  
  
Matthews sighed and took out a cigarette out from his pocket. "Fine, fine. What do you need me for?"  
  
"I will arrange for your luggage to be delivered at the dock. They will be hidden in large crates and be guarded by two of the Durandal's officers."  
  
The end of the cigarette was now lit between Matthews' lips, the white smoke trailing lazily into the air like tiny serpents. "Won't that look funny-"  
  
"Everything will be taken care of," Gaignun said confidently. "Now I must be going. Please take care, everyone. Jr., don't do anything that might attract attention."  
  
Before Jr. could protest the screen vanished, leaving the group behind with mixed feelings. If either of them felt fear, they did not want to show it because of the other people around them. A leisurely meal that had been shared was not remembered, and the humorous argument of Jin and Shion as siblings was now forgotten. Matters had just turned for the worse, and everyone, whether human or Realian, knew it.  
  
The other customers of the restaurant were unmindful of what had just happened and were enjoying their food and each other's company. However, Jin sensed the tension in the atmosphere at his table, and cleared his throat. "So MOMO, I didn't know that you were a Realian."  
  
Everyone looked at him, neither of them knowing whether he was being truthful or making a joke. "Yes, I did think that your clothes were a bit strange, but I always thought that that was how young people dressed nowadays. As my sister would say, I am a bit behind the times." MOMO stared at him, and judging by his weird bagging black pants and the large-sleeved dark top he was wearing, she shyly smiled.  
  
"What was that woman's name...Mary, was it? I think she is right about getting you some new clothes. Since you are a little girl, you should dress like one. There are some very nice shops here, and besides, it gets pretty warm on Second Militia."  
  
MOMO looked down at her form-hugging navy blue dress and her thigh- high white boots. She never thought that there was anything wrong with the laboratory uniform that she had always worn since the day she was created, but it would be nice to wear something else for a change. "Yes, I'd like that. My money is on the Elsa-"  
  
"No, don't worry about it. I'll be paying." Jin stated.  
  
"But Mr. Uzuki-"  
  
"I said not to worry about it, MOMO. It isn't a problem." Since MOMO did not want to wipe away the pleasant smile that was formed on Jin's lips, she did not object.  
  
"So that settles it. Shion, we better get back to my house. You have to help me set up the rooms for our guests."  
  
Shion could not help but smile. She always saw her brother as somewhat idle and strange, on account of all the time he wasted being obsessed with the ancient books he owned: to her they were nothing but obsolete collections of texts that had no importance to a modern world that was constantly changing. However, she knew in her heart that her brother was a good person. He was always there to aid her or other people that needed help without losing his optimism. This was one of those rare moments that made her proud of being his sister.  
  
"All right, Jin. You still have spare blankets and pillows, right?"  
  
"Of course. I want all of you to be comfortable during your vacation on Second Miltia."  
  
SPECIAL NOTE: I never thought I would get 20 reviews for this story. I didn't think people were that interested. Although I know that this chapter is a little boring, I cannot help but thank all of you who reviewed. If I were to express my happiness in one word while retaining my dignity, it would be this: ...AWESOME!!!! ^_^ Ahem, anyway, the next chapter is going to be an exciting one. More problems will come to light, as well new people to meet.  
  
Nathander: Good luck on your MOMO/Jr. fic...hehe, I don't know if my story is that good, but thank you!  
  
Sugar: I'm sorry that you're so hooked on this story. I'll keep writing it to make you happy!  
  
Naela and Angel-chan: Wow, you added this to your favorites? That's extremely flattering, thank you so much :) And as for any chaos/KOS-MOS...I'm not telling! ^_^  
  
Shinji Ikari: ...whoa, I've never gotten a review that long (not that it's a bad thing!) I'm glad that you have such an interest in the story, though. Don't worry, a lot more things are about to happen in the story, but I can't guarantee that I'll answer all your questions. That's for the sequel to take care of! But thank you for liking my story!  
  
Kawaii Karen, Vi3t Girl MOMO, Aenid, Hikari-chan, and Angelus: If it weren't for you guys in the first place, I would have probably stopped writing this story. I can't thank you enough for your wonderful reviews: you all have been so kind to me. I'm sorry I never thanked you before. I promise that there will be more MOMO/Jr. interactions...they ARE the stars of this fanfiction. 


	7. The Words Never Spoken

More than Words Can Say  
  
Chapter Seven: The Words Never Spoken  
  
MOMO pulled the blanket neatly over the mattress with Shion tugging it from the opposite side of the bed. Their hands smoothed the cotton-soft surface to get rid of any creases or wrinkles. "Thanks for helping me, MOMO."  
  
She sweetly smiled. "It's okay, I wanted to help you."  
  
Shion looked around the room, sunlight pouring in from the large window. "I haven't slept in this room for a long time." She walked over to an oak dresser on which a rather great mirror was set upon. Small porcelain figures molded in the shape of little animals were also arranged neatly on the dresser. Shion picked up a figure of a pony and held it in the palm of her hand. Its body was white with a light brown mane flowing down its elegant neck and its circular eyes were coal black. The pony's saddle was painted a pastel blue and a pink ribbon was tied around its tail.  
  
MOMO examined it in wonder. "It's so pretty."  
  
Shion smiled in response. "My father gave it to me when I was a little girl. In fact, he gave me all of these. While Jin collected books, I collected animal figures." The young woman took MOMO's fragile hand and placed the pony figure in her palm. "This was one of my favorites. I want you to have it."  
  
"Shion, I can't take this!" MOMO opposed. "It belongs to you."  
  
She shook her head, the braid of her auburn hair moving to and fro against her pretty face. "Please, I want you to keep this. Whenever I was afraid, I always looked to these figures for comfort. It's funny, they were all too fragile to play with, but I still considered them as toys. Now that I am older, I don't really need them as much as I do now. So I want you to keep this one, because I know that you'll take good care of it."  
  
MOMO stared at the delicate porcelain figure in her hand, knowing that no matter what she said it would not change Shion's mind. "I'll keep this safe. Thank you very much, Shion."  
  
Shion wrapped her arms around the Realian girl, almost cradling her as if she were her daughter. For someone that had been put through so much, MOMO still maintained a cheerful and sympathetic character. Shion looked over her with a protective maternal instinct and dreaded the fact that MOMO was still vulnerable to the dangers of the world. She was the younger sister she never had, and Shion felt a duty to look after her.  
  
"Well, I have to go make dinner. When Captain Matthews comes back, we're all going to eat." Shion started for the kitchen and left MOMO to her lonesome in the tidy bedroom.  
  
She seated herself on the edge of the bed and stared at the gift that she was just given. A cozy sleeping bag lied at the foot of her bed, which would serve as a resting place for Shion. MOMO would have gladly slept on the floor, but Shion insisted that she take the bed instead.  
  
She felt the cool feel of the porcelain with her fingers, tracing the smooth curves of the pony's form. Afterwards, she placed it on the nearby nightstand beside the book of fairy tales that she had now cherished. She watched it for a long time, and after minutes went by like an eternity, she buried her face into the softness of her pillow and cried heavily.  
  
* * * *  
  
Jr. was spread out upon the bed facing upward towards the ceiling. His trenchcoat was thrown in a crumpled heap beside him, his thin outstretched arms hanging limply from both sides of the mattress. The open window allowed a gentle breeze to drift into the room, bringing with it the salty smell of the ocean waters. He closed his eyes, although he did not feel like surrendering to the welcoming arms of slumber.  
  
There was a sight shuffling from the other side of the room. chaos was preoccupied with rolling out a sleeping bag onto the wooden floor. Knowing that his crimson-haired ally had much on his mind, he attempted to make an effort toward a friendly conversation.  
  
"It was nice of Jin to let us sleep in his old bedroom."  
  
"Guess so," Jr. answered, rolling onto his side and now staring blankly at the wall to his right. He did not feel like talking. He did not feel like doing anything, for he had too much on his mind.  
  
chaos perceived that Jr. did not want to engage in a discussion of any kind, so he remained quiet. He finished setting up his sleeping bag and made his way toward the door.  
  
"Hey, chaos," he heard Jr. beckon him. The seemingly sixteen-year-old boy looked over his shoulder to see Jr. sitting up from his mattress.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
Jr. hesitated for a moment, and gave up and fell backwards onto the bed. "Never mind."  
  
chaos examined Jr.'s disheartening behavior, but he said nothing. He knew that if Jr. had made the decision not to talk at all, then there was nothing that anyone could do to pry information out of him. He was stubborn in that way and there was nothing that chaos or anyone else could do that would change that.  
  
"All right, then. See you around." chaos left the troubled U.R.T.V. with his thoughts.  
  
Jr. huddled against the sheets in a small ball, his knees tucked closely under his chest. He ignored the strips of yellow and orange sunlight that streamed into the room and the jubilant songs of the blithe robins outside of his window. "...MOMO was crying before we landed on Second Miltia. Whenever I tried to ask her what was the matter, she just smiled and said that it was nothing. But I knew something was wrong. I could always tell."  
  
There was a change in MOMO's conduct, whether or not that anyone else other than Jr. had noticed it. She remains her vivacious self, but there was something off about her. Her actions could not hide the overwhelming grief that she attempted with great endeavor to mask. Jr. knew of this, but he did not make an effort to confront her about it. He thought that doing so would only thrust her into a deeper misery. And yet he hated himself for not doing anything to help the person he loved.  
  
"Well, what could I do anyway?" He angrily asked himself, his fists clenching into fists. "If she doesn't want to talk about it, then there's nothing that I can do. Still...her eyes get so gloomy whenever I look at her. They've been like that a lot lately, and it bothers the hell out of me."  
  
He gripped the blankets tightly in his frustration. He tried to fall to sleep, but his distressed mind prevented him from resting by drowning him in his hopelessness. In agitation, he abandoned the comfort of his bed and left the room, deciding he needed a walk.  
  
As he entered the empty hallway, he picked up the heavy sobs from the room across from the one he shared with chaos. An intense sorrow struck him when he realized that it was MOMO crying. He was about to knock on the door, but something inside of him stopped him.  
  
What could you say that would make her feel any better, the cynical voice in his head questioned him. If she didn't want to talk to you before, what gives you the idea that she wants to talk to you now?  
  
Infuriated at himself, Jr. held back his urge to walk into the room and console MOMO. Instead, he continued down the hallway, her weeping resonating like a bitter tune in his ears.  
  
* * * *  
  
"She was crying?" Shion asked while busying herself with stirring the stew that she was heating on the stovetop. Chunks of thick beef, slices of sweet carrot, and large pieces of hearty potatoes were swimming in the rich bubbling liquid, speckled with small green peas. The scent of the stew was enough to make anyone's mouth water.  
  
"Yes," chaos confirmed while gathering bowls from the cupboard. "I heard her when I was in the hallway."  
  
Shion scooped up some stew in her ladle and began pouring it into each of the bowls that chaos provided her with. "She's starting to worry me. I've never seen MOMO so depressed before."  
  
"Hey, Ms. Vector!" The husky voice of Captain Matthews yelled from the dining room. "When's dinner gonna be served?"  
  
Shion shook her head. "Allen, could you please take these bowls that already have stew in them and take them to the dining room?"  
  
"Sure thing, Chief," Allen took two bowls full of the aromatic stew and departed from the kitchen.  
  
"MOMO is beginning to worry me," Shion admitted while proceeding to fill the empty bowls. "And so is Jr. They've been acting strange lately."  
  
"Jr. is only feeling the effects of MOMO's sadness. I think that he feels guilty because he knows that something is bothering her, but he doesn't know what to do about it." chaos explained.  
  
Allen returned shortly and began collecting two more bowls. "Hey, MOMO and Jr. aren't at the table."  
  
"I saw Jr. going out to the backyard a bit earlier," Shion said. "I'll go call him to dinner after everyone else is served."  
  
"MOMO must still be in the bedroom," chaos spoke. "I don't think she wants anyone to see her in the state that she's in."  
  
"You're probably right. We shouldn't force her to come down here. Can you please take dinner up to her, chaos?"  
  
"I wouldn't mind."  
  
"Thank you. The trays are in the pantry," Shion said while in the process of pouring the stew into two more bowls.  
  
chaos went into the pantry and took out a metallic tray. He took a glass from the cabinet and filled it with cool water. He placed the drink and a bowl of steaming stew onto the tray and with great care, he left the kitchen and went into the living room. He approached the staircase that led to the upper level of the house and with great caution carried MOMO's dinner up the steps. He entered the vacant hallway, which was now silent. He walked over to MOMO's room, a bit concerned that there were no noises from the other side of the door.  
  
His hand rapped on the door. "MOMO? It's me."  
  
"Come in," was the feeble reply. He opened the door to see that MOMO was laying face down on the mattress. Her sleek white boots laid forgotten on the floor. The blankets were wrinkled as if her hands had twisted them in their grip, and the lamp on the nightstand provided a dim light that illuminated the surroundings in the form of a small arc.  
  
chaos sat on her bedside with the warm tray placed onto his lap. "MOMO, I brought you dinner."  
  
"Thank you, but I'm not very hungry," MOMO answered with her face still covered by her pillow.  
  
chaos still persisted. "It's been a long day and you need to eat. Even if you're a Realian, you still need nutrition."  
  
Seeing that chaos would not give up, MOMO sat up from her bed and took the tray from him. She ate slowly, forcing herself to swallow each spoonful of the stew so that it would appease her friend. Besides, perhaps having something warm in her belly would help her rest easier.  
  
After she was finished, she placed her spoon in the empty bowl and took a small drink of water. MOMO went back to lying down and the tray was once again in chaos' possession. She did not speak or move, but chaos remained where he was.  
  
"You're afraid of sleeping, aren't you?" chaos suddenly asked her. MOMO glanced at him, but said nothing. "You're scared of having another nightmare and waking up to find that he's gone. Just like you were on the Elsa."  
  
The tears began to well up in her tired eyes and began to flow down her cheeks like small rivers of crystal liquid. Her sobs returned and her petite body heaved with her shuddering cries. chaos calmed her by running his hands through her thick pink hair and allowing her to cry against his chest. Like this morning, her tears soaked through his blue and orange vest, but he did not mind. MOMO was in need of comfort: she was created by combining machinery with human anatomy, but nevertheless she suffered from sadness like any other human child.  
  
"He fell...I couldn't save him," she wept. "Someone injured him and sent him flying off a tall building, and I tried to pull him up...but Jr. was too heavy and it was raining..."  
  
chaos was silent as she continued. "I keep having these nightmares of him dying. They kept getting more frequent and more frightening that I began to think that they could become real. That's why I told Ziggy that I wanted to give myself up to the Federation. I thought that if I did, Jr. and everyone else would be safe. Then the Federation could get what they want and leave all of you alone."  
  
Her crying diminished gradually as she regained control of herself. chaos stroked her back, holding her tightly in his arms as she settled down. "MOMO, if you did give yourself up to the Federation, that would only complicate matters. You didn't consider how everyone would feel if you just let yourself be taken. The Captain would be too angry to even curse, and Tony and Hammer would be no better. And the rest of us would feel the same way."  
  
MOMO's face lifted from his chest, looking attentively at chaos. "Shion and I would be upset because you're like a little sister to us. Allen would be even more depressed than he usually is because he's used to seeing you helping Shion in the Elsa's kitchen. Ziggy would be formulating some plan to get you back. And I bet that even KOS-MOS would miss you enough to help him. Then there's Jr..."  
  
chaos raised MOMO's wrist so that both their eyes fell upon the charm bracelet that she wore. The bullet shone faintly in the light as if Jr. had melded a dwarf-sized star onto the golden chain. "He gave this to you because he cared about you. He has feelings for you, even if he doesn't show them very much. When you were kidnapped and held in the Song of Nephilim, Jr. was devastated. He fought through all of Albedo's sentries with an indescribable strength that none of us had seen him use before. When we rescued you, he didn't rest until he knew that you were all right. So if you were to be taken by the Federation, it would be like you were kidnapped again. And I don't think any of us would want that to happen."  
  
MOMO was quiet after chaos had finished, trying to digest what he had told her. "I...I would only be making people sad?"  
  
"Yes. We would rather you be with us than letting yourself be taken away by anyone."  
  
She was still for another moment, and then a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "...I understand. Thank you, chaos."  
  
"I'm just speaking for all of us. We've already been through so much together, MOMO. We wouldn't be able to stand it if we let you or anyone else leave." He released her from his arms and gathered up the tray. "You should get ready for bed. The Captain has come back with our luggage. I'll bring up your toothbrush and your pajamas later."  
  
"Okay," MOMO answered and chaos turned to leave. "chaos!"  
  
He looked back at the Realian girl. "...thank you for everything."  
  
He smiled, his sea green eyes gleaming from underneath his silver bangs. He nodded and went out of the room, closing the door behind him.  
  
She took off the orange clips that held her hair. The two sections of her hair were no longer kept in place, so now bunches of light pink tumbled down to her shoulders. She placed her hair clips onto the nightstand, and then suddenly noticed the book that was lying there next to the porcelain horse Shion had given her. She took it into her hands and then opened it, reading where she and Jr. had left off on the Elsa.  
  
* * * *  
  
Jr. sulked in his bedroom, staring at the ceiling like he had done earlier today in all his boredom. It was now a quarter after nine at night. Everyone, excluding himself and MOMO, were downstairs talking and drinking coffee in Jin's living room. After Shion had called him in for dinner, he hastily ate and retreated to his chamber. He had not come out ever since.  
  
"I wonder, did she eat dinner?" He questioned himself when his thoughts drifted back to MOMO. "Did she do anything at all?"  
  
In his curiosity, he left his bedroom and went into the hallway. He drew nearer to MOMO's room, and placed his ear against the door. He strained to hear anything, but failed to do so. He carefully turned the knob and pushed the door slightly ajar.  
  
He found MOMO asleep in her bed. She had changed into her pink nightgown and the blanket covered her up to her waist. The lamp was turned on and a book rested undisturbed in her hands. He tiptoed over to her and took the book from her and examined it. She was in the middle of "Snow White" before she had succumbed to an unearthly world where thoughts ran freely in the shape of colorful dreams. He closed the book and put it next to the lamp. He stared at MOMO and was immediately entranced by her as she slept.  
  
She was beautiful. Her hair was spread out under her head against the pillow like two light scarlet wings, her bangs hung above her closed eyelids like a veil of pink silk. Her ivory skin shone gently from the lamp's illumination, the beating of her heart in rhythm with her noiseless breaths. His hand cupped her cheek as he gazed at her, his cerulean blue eyes never leaving her face.  
  
"MOMO," he whispered her name. "You're the only person that makes me feel the way I do. I don't know when I'll be able to have the guts to tell you this, but..." Even if it seemed as if she could not hear him, the words were difficult to find. "Whenever I see you, I get this feeling. I can't really describe it but...I feel happy. It's like ever since I saw your face for the first time, I forget everything that made my life a living hell. You're...all that I see now. Gaignun bugs me about it and says that I'm in love. Well, so what if I am?"  
  
He saw that her rosy lips were pursed open slightly, and he felt his face draw nearer to her. His head bent down and he closed his eyes as his lips pressed tenderly against hers in a small kiss. After a few seconds, he parted from her and continued to watch over her slumbering form.  
  
"Don't get mad at me when you wake up, okay? Please don't tell anyone what I said. They'll just make fun at me even more."  
  
His hand slipped gently into hers as he looked over her in silence. "I'll never leave you. I'm always going to be here for you when you need me. I promise."  
  
SPECIAL NOTE: I have to say, I really enjoyed writing this particular chapter. But either way, I lied: this chapter wasn't as exciting as I planned it out to be. The next chapter will be however: it will have more angst to it and the plot will thicken up. Oh, and MOMO will be shopping for some new clothes. Funny how things work out when you have writer's block! ^_^  
  
Anyway, I wish I had more time, but it's 12:54 in the morning and as much as I don't want to, I need to do that thing called 'sleep'. Thank you all for your great reviews, I'll address you individually later. I'm so happy that this story is receiving such awesome responses. I'm grateful that you guys are really liking this story! Thanks!!! 


	8. Hello There

More than Words Can Say  
  
Chapter Eight: Hello There  
  
Shion disassembled the knots in her hair with the strokes of the brush she handled in her hands. Afterwards, she gathered a bunch of her auburn hair and divided it into three strands. She then placed one strand over the other one and began to develop a pattern. Now her hair was woven into a neat plait and when she was finished, she fastened the end of her braid with her favorite barrette, which sported a blue sphere in the center.  
  
It was a little after eight o' clock. The dusky rays of the morning sun were slowly spreading upon Second Miltia. They have already penetrated the barrier of the curtains in Shion and MOMO's bedroom, where the twenty- two-year-old Vector employee was preparing for a day's outing in the city. She had left her customary uniform in her closet and was wearing a sleeveless button-down spring green top with blue denim shorts. It was much too warm in the summer to go around in her blue and tan dress with the matching long-sleeved jacket.  
  
"This will cheer her up, I know it will," Shion said thoughtfully. She walked over to MOMO's bed where the Realian was still sound asleep.  
  
"Wow, I never saw her sleep so peacefully before," She remarked. Shion shook MOMO lightly and saw her golden eyes slowly flicker open.  
  
"Good morning, sleepy-head. Come on and get up," Shion greeted.  
  
MOMO could feel her body coming to life once more. "Where are we going?"  
  
"We're going to the city to get you some new clothes. Think of it as a girls' day out, just you and me...well, if you don't count Jin. He's driving us."  
  
"Oh, did Captain Matthews get my piggy bank? I have all my money in there-"  
  
"Stop worrying about it. Jin and I will take care of the money."  
  
MOMO hesitated a bit, but agreed. "Okay, let me go and get ready."  
  
"When you're done, meet us downstairs," Shion told her and left the room.  
  
MOMO collected her 100-Series Observation Realian attire and headed towards the bathroom in the hallway. She shut the door behind her and turned on the sink. She gathered some water in her hands and splashed it upon her face, the cold sensation instantly waking her. She dried her face and proceeded to brush her teeth, the minty taste of the toothpaste invigorating to her taste buds. Later, MOMO turned off the faucet and changed from her pajamas and into her navy blue sailor dress. She gathered her nightwear and went out of the bathroom and back into her bedroom to brush her hair. Like always, she held back two segments of her cherry pink hair in slight pigtails while the rest of her hair was left to fall to her shoulders and around her neck.  
  
MOMO departed from her room after putting her boots on, but stopped in her tracks when she was about to pass Jin's old bedroom. She carefully cracked the door open and saw that chaos was snoozing comfortably in his sleeping bag and Jr. was asleep in his bed. She moved toward to him, doing her best to not wake up chaos as she walked past him. MOMO went to Jr.'s bedside and looked at him with a deep fondness. She thought to himself how cute he looked when he was asleep. His vermillion hair was messily tangled and his covers were strewn untidily about his skinny body, revealing the white shirt and black boxer shorts that he wore for his pajamas.  
  
It was one of the few mornings that she did not wake up screaming or crying from a nightmare. She was able to sleep without any difficulty because of something that happened to her last night. She was laying in her bed, weary from the trip to Second Miltia and the serious information that Gaignun had told them all over lunch. She could barely open her eyes because of her fatigue, but she was sure that she saw Jr. watching her as she rested. She recognized the unruly crimson hair and the dynamic sapphire eyes. His head lowered onto hers and their lips met in a brief, but gentle kiss. And then, he made a promise, but she could not recall clearly what it was.  
  
She blushed. MOMO was not certain if she was dreaming, but she could still feel the softness of Jr.'s lips on hers. Even if it all were an illusion, she was happy upon remembering last night. She pulled the wrinkled blankets over Jr.'s body so as to shelter him as he slept. She was about to leave until a familiar voice called faintly to her.  
  
"MOMO, where are you going?" chaos asked her. His nightclothes consisted of a gray tank top and navy blue shorts, which his sleeping bag hid. He supported himself with his propped arm.  
  
"Shion and I are going shopping with Jin," MOMO answered brightly, but quietly so she would not wake up Jr.  
  
"Really? Well, do you think that Shion would mind if I went with you?"  
  
"I don't see why not. I'll tell Jin and her to wait a bit longer until you're ready."  
  
"Thanks, I won't be long," he replied, and MOMO took off to the staircase.  
  
chaos wriggled out of his sleeping bag and rummaged through his suitcase that Matthews had brought him after he returned from the Durandal. He and Jr. had yet to unpack their belongings. He picked out his clothes and began to depart for the bathroom.  
  
He hurriedly brushed his teeth and attempted to comb his sterling hair, save for the several strands that curled upward from the back of his head. He slipped on a pair of loose blue jeans and a white T-shirt. He threw on a navy blue jacket with a hood attached in the back. He hastily folded his pajamas and placed them onto his sleeping bag. He took a moment and looked back at Jr., who was now lightly snoring in his sleep.  
  
"He and everyone else will be safe if they stay here. I have to go with MOMO and the others to make sure that nothing happens to them."  
  
chaos headed downstairs where MOMO, Shion, and Jin awaited.  
  
* * * *  
  
His eyes fell upon the delicate magnolia blossoms that bloomed on the thick branches of the tree that mothered them. He plucked one off, separating it from all its other siblings. He held it in his hand, admiring the frail beauty of the flower. With his index finger and his thumb, he pulled one of the velvety petals off. He let if fall from his grasp as it drifted slowly onto the ground.  
  
"She loves me," He muttered to himself as he proceeded to tug off another petal. "She loves me not, she loves me, she loves me not..."  
  
He crushed the entire flower by enclosing his fingers upon the fragile thing. He felt the kiss of its petals pushing against his skin. He opened up his hand again, and the remaining trampled petals floated onto the wind helplessly.  
  
"And so on and so on. What would an oblivious flower know of love?"  
  
He chuckled to himself as he picked another defenseless blossom. "Ah, MOMO. You are much like a flower yourself. You are beautiful, blameless, and unable to grasp the cold sting of the reality that surrounds you. You know nothing of the sinful bloodstained hands of humankind, the same ones that had brought you into this world. You only see it through the delusional and uncertain eyes of a child. Just as I did."  
  
He threw the flower upon the ground and with his heel smashed it. He lifted his foot and smiled when he saw what was left of the splendor of the blossom: its ruined petals were now stained with brown specks of dirt.  
  
"But unlike flowers, I can save you. I will rescue you from the shackles that bind you from seeing the world as it really is."  
  
* * * *  
  
"You look so cute!" Shion exclaimed to a blushing MOMO as she walked by her side.  
  
She wore a baby blue dress that rustled gently against her body as she moved. A dark blue silk ribbon was tied around the dress above her tiny waist and the rest of the dress hung gracefully down halfway past her knees, exposing the rest of her slender legs. A faux white flower that resembled a full-bloomed carnation was attached in the middle of the ribbon in the front. The dress was sleeveless and the straps that secured the dress went around MOMO's bare shoulders, revealing her collarbone and the upper part of her back. A white sun hat rested on top of MOMO's cherry pink hair with a blue ribbon tied around it, complimenting the ribbon around MOMO's dress. Underneath her hat, her hair remained its same fashion, except that hairclips resembling small white flowers replaced her usual orange ones. Lastly, she wore white platform sandals to complete her attire.  
  
"Thank you, Shion," MOMO replied, carrying a large shopping bag full of other dresses and outfits. It was a pleasant change for MOMO to walk around in something else than her snug laboratory uniform. For once, she was able to wear clothes that made her look like a normal twelve-year-old girl, despite the fact that she was a Realian prototype.  
  
"Let me carry those for you," Shion offered. MOMO declined, seeing that the young woman also carried a bulging bag in her hand.  
  
"No, you already have one."  
  
"I'll take these for you, ladies," Jin bumped in, taking both MOMO and Shion's bags in his hands. Since he was stronger, he was able to carry each one with relative ease.  
  
"I shouldn't have bought so much..." MOMO said outloud, a bit guilty. She would not have let them purchase so much, but Shion insisted that she deserved to have a wardrobe of her own that did not consist of only her sailor suit and her pink swimsuit.  
  
"There's something that you should know about women, MOMO," Jin began. "When they go out shopping for themselves or anyone for that matter, they aren't satisfied until they bring the whole store with them."  
  
Shion's jade green glared at Jin from behind her glasses. "That's typical. Men are always stereotyping people."  
  
A goofy smirk appeared on Jin's face. "Hey Shion, when's that soap opera show of yours coming on?"  
  
Shion glanced at her watch. "Oh, the first one starts at noon today! I can't miss this show: Drake is going to try and win Virginia's heart from that millionaire by proposing to her in front of her entire family-hey!!!"  
  
She smacked her brother on the shoulder while an amused chaos and a baffled MOMO looked on.  
  
The Realian girl tugged on chaos' jacket. She looked up at him, the brim of her hat casting a slight shadow over her honey-colored eyes. "chaos, what's a soap opera?"  
  
chaos suppressed a laugh as the siblings fought. "Oh, a soap opera is a show where the plot is a very long and dramatic one that takes all kinds of twists and turns-"  
  
"And it's tedious enough to put anyone into a sleep, worse yet a coma- OUCH!!!" Jin was cut short by another slap from Shion, this time aimed at the back of his head. "chaos, do something before Shion hurts Mr. Uzuki even more!" MOMO begged. chaos quickly looked around the bustling streets of the metropolis until an ice cream parlor caught the corner of his eye.  
  
"Hey, why don't we all get an ice cream before heading back to Jin's house?" chaos suggested.  
  
"That sounds great! I feel like having one..." Jin agreed, rubbing the back of his aching head. He followed chaos and MOMO with a fuming Shion trailing behind him.  
  
They entered the parlor, greeted by the cool atmosphere of the place. A teenaged girl, whose blonde hair was styled in long pigtails on both sides of her head, beamed at them. "Welcome! How may I help you today?"  
  
"Everyone, go ahead and order what you want. I'll be paying," chaos said.  
  
"I'd like a root beer float," Jin said, his hand still massaging the back of his head where Shion had attacked him last.  
  
"A vanilla milkshake for me, please," Shion requested politely.  
  
"And what about you, sweetie?" The cashier asked MOMO.  
  
The Realian looked down at her feet, not sure of how to answer the question. How was she supposed to know what to order if she never tasted ice cream before in her life?  
  
"Um...I'm not sure," MOMO answered.  
  
"Well take a look over here and you can decide," the teenager responded without a hint of annoyance to her cheerful voice. "I'll get started on the two orders and when you know what you want, just tell me."  
  
"I'll help you decide, MOMO," chaos assured her. "Shion, why don't you and Jin go sit down in one of those booths over there while I help MOMO?"  
  
Both Jin and Shion consented and seated themselves in an empty booth, the older Uzuki watching warily at his younger sister in case she thrashed him again.  
  
MOMO and chaos walked over to where the ice cream was displayed under a frigid, spotless glass screen. MOMO's eyes widened upon discovering how many unique flavors of ice cream were available. "Wow, that's a lot of ice cream."  
  
chaos laughed goodheartedly. "Well, different people like different things, I suppose. An ice cream shop wouldn't be much of one if they didn't have a range of variety in their flavors."  
  
"Ooh, what's this?" MOMO pointed to a container of light green ice cream that was dotted with small brown spheres.  
  
"That's mint-chocolate chip. It's a favorite of a lot of people," chaos said.  
  
MOMO's eyes examined the different flavors and carefully read the labels that were placed above the containers. "They make coffee into ice cream!?"  
  
Again, chaos laughed. "It's not as bad as you think it would be. In fact, it's a lot sweeter than the stuff you drink."  
  
Deciding that she did not want to try that flavor just yet, MOMO excitedly point out one of the containers. "That strawberry ice cream looks real good!"  
  
"Pick one other flavor," and before MOMO could refuse, chaos smiled at her reassuringly. When older people had that particular smile on their lips, she knew that it was futile to say anything otherwise.  
  
She searched again, deciding that she was not bold as of yet to sample flavors such as bubblegum burst or pumpkin. She settled on a flavor called French vanilla, which chaos commented that it was quite delicious. MOMO ordered one scoop of each in a large waffle cone, and chaos did the same, the only difference being that he chose chocolate and rocky road.  
  
The cashier handed chaos a tray where Jin's root beer float and Shion's vanilla milkshake stood, and he paid her for what was purchased. MOMO carried his ice cream cone as he brought the tray over to the booth where Jin and Shion were, eager to taste her ice cream. They seated themselves across from the brother and sister.  
  
MOMO watched with curiosity as Shion sipped her milkshake through a straw and as Jin started devouring his root beer float. She observed chaos licking the scoop of chocolate ice cream from his waffle cone. She did the same, and as soon as the tip of her tongue touched the creamy exterior of the strawberry ice cream, a chill went down her spine. But that was not necessarily a bad thing. An explosion of sugary goodness that was similar to the taste of strawberries, MOMO had to admit, covered her taste buds.  
  
"This is really good!" MOMO exclaimed in surprise, eating her ice cream faster.  
  
"I told you that you would like it," the smile then faded from chaos' face. "...MOMO, you might want to slow down."  
  
"Why?" In a few more moments, MOMO would be scolding herself for not taking chaos' advice. After licking her ice cream a few more times, she felt a sudden feeling of numbness tingle through her head so violently, she almost dropped her ice cream cone. "AGGGGGHHH! MY HEAD!"  
  
Shion giggled, "That's brain freeze. You get it when you eat ice cream too fast."  
  
MOMO smiled sheepishly and was careful then on not to consume her ice cream too quickly. A half hour went by, resulting in large empty glasses and devoured waffle cones.  
  
"Well, I better get started on lunch," Shion took another look at her watch and was in near shock. "Oh no, my soap operas!"  
  
She placed the glasses from which Jin and her drank out of on the tray and hastily placed it onto the empty counter where the cashier was, and rushed out of the parlor. Jin hurriedly followed her in an attempt not to lose his sister.  
  
"Come on, MOMO," chaos addressed her and pursued the Uzuki siblings with the Realian girl following him. Before she went through the door, she turned back to the confused cashier and kindly thanked her for the ice cream. She entered the streets of the city and was embraced by the summer warmth of the sun. She could see chaos' trim figure ahead of her and was about to run after him, until a strong breeze blew past her and sent her sun hat flying off of her head.  
  
"Oh no!" MOMO cried as her hat was drifting at a usually fast pace upon the wind as she followed it. She ran toward it with her full speed, quickly apologizing to those she had bumped into. The hat was a fleeting white image above the heads of the indifferent people who walked on the sidewalks and the uninterested vehicles that took to the streets. MOMO saw it for a brief moment lying on the street ahead of her until a breeze coming from the east caused it to tumble slowly into an alley. She sprinted toward it, hoping that she would not lose the hat that Shion had bought for her, and entered the alley.  
  
It was dark, which was uncanny due to the fact that the forecast of the city was cloudless and sunny. Shadows were cast onto the brick walls of the buildings by the sun as it slowly rose higher into the sky. She saw her white hat gleaming in the few rays of sunlight as it continued to roll deeper into the darkness of the alley. Once again she ran after it, but in doing so she crashed into something solid and breathing. She gave a little yelp and fell down from the force of the impact.  
  
"I'm sorry," a soft, but vivid, voice apologized. A hand reached to her from the shadows as a gesture to help her up to her feet. She delayed from taking it, but in the end she placed her hand into it and the stranger aided her to stand up once more.  
  
"Thank you," she said graciously. "I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean to bump into you."  
  
"It's fine," the voice assured her. He stepped away from the darkness and into the dim light that was able to penetrate the shady alley. MOMO realized that he was about her height, and most likely a preteen around the age of twelve, just as she was simulated to appear. The boy was covered in a large beige cloak, his face obscured by the hood he wore over his head. The tone of his hands was somewhat pale, but they did not show any signs of an illness. MOMO noticed that he had something clutched into his left hand.  
  
"You found my hat!" She said happily. He allowed her to take it into her own hands. "Thank you so much! I was chasing it when it got caught up in the wind-"  
  
She was interrupted when the boy placed his hands upon hers as she held the brim of her sun hat. He went closer to her and she could make out a smile forming on his lips. "You have very beautiful eyes. You shouldn't have to hide them with things like hats."  
  
She was taken aback, not knowing whether to be flattered or not. MOMO was suddenly hit with the realization that she recognized the boy's voice from somewhere. She took a closer look at him and without warning a face from the gloom of a stormy night was looking right back at her. The rain was pouring down his hood, those dark eyes staring at her with an intricacy that even the most advanced Realian of this age could not be able to solve...  
  
"Am I startling you?" The boy asked her with slight sympathy as he took his hands away.  
  
"Do...I know you?" MOMO questioned him, expecting an answer.  
  
The boy smiled again from under his hood and shook his head. "No, I don't think you have," he responded sincerely.  
  
Before MOMO could reply, a voice called out to her from behind that was undeniably that of chaos'. "MOMO, there you are!"  
  
She looked back to see the bronze-skinned young man running up to her. She turned back and to her utmost surprise, the boy was gone.  
  
"You know better than to go off on your own, especially at a time like this! Shion and Jin were worried when they didn't see you with me!" He chided her gently.  
  
"I-I'm sorry," MOMO explained. "It's just...my hat got caught in the wind and I went after it."  
  
chaos sighed. "Still, you should be careful, all right?"  
  
MOMO nodded and once again a kind smile appeared on chaos' attractive face. "C'mon. Let's catch up with the others before they start looking for us."  
  
She followed him by his side this time, to stay in chaos' vision as means to comfort him. She put her hat back on her head, concealing the top of her scarlet hair and her golden eyes. Her hands swung at her sides while she remembered her encounter back at the alley.  
  
The feel of his hands, she thought to herself. They felt warm...but they were freezing at the same time...  
  
SPECIAL NOTE: Okay, I would make this longer, but seeing how I don't have the time, this is what I got. I decided to update because I haven't in a while, so I'm really sorry for this chapter. It's crappy isn't it? Sigh, well, I'm still happy that you guys are psyched over this story either way. Thank you all for reviewing!  
  
P.S. MOMO will have more new clothes, not just the blue dress I put her in! So if you're reading this Kawaii Karen, I might do something a bit bolder for MOMO! 


	9. A Walk on the Beach

More than Words Can Say  
  
Chapter Nine: A Walk on the Beach  
  
Jr. waited impatiently upon the stone steps that led to Jin's door. In his nervousness and agitation, he bit the nail of his thumb, a bad habit that he never had broken. His feet kicked stray pebbles on the ground as he grew more restless by the minute.  
  
The front door behind him creaked open, and later revealed a brown- haired Allen. His blue eyes found Jr. below him. "Come on in, Jr. We're having coffee now."  
  
"I can't drink coffee at a time like this!" yelled Jr. "Not when MOMO is missing!"  
  
"Jr., Chief and the others aren't-"  
  
Jr.'s anxiety intensified, his thumb lying forgotten on his side. "How could she be so STUPID!? She can't go anywhere without telling us, especially when the Federation is after her! What the hell is she thinking!?"  
  
"Jr., Shion left a note on the refrigerator saying that she, Jin, MOMO, and chaos left to the city to go shopping."  
  
Jr.'s head jerked suddenly to glare at Allen. "Why didn't you tell me!?"  
  
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because you were too busy loading your MAKAROV pistol to listen to me!"  
  
Jr.'s eyes fell to the ground as if he took a sudden interest in it. He crossed his arms and pouted. "Well, still...she shouldn't have gone without me."  
  
Allen let out a deep sigh. "Jr., MOMO is safe. She's with Shion, Jin, and chaos. I don't think that they would let anything happen to her."  
  
Jr.'s hands nearly balled up into fists upon hearing the name 'chaos'. The fact that the sterling-haired teenager was absent along with MOMO also made his blood boil.  
  
Why is she always hanging around him, Jr. asked himself. Is it because she likes him more than me? Or is it...is it because he actually looks his age?  
  
Jr.'s azure eyes saddened from coming to this possibility. What if that was really the case? Perhaps MOMO did not consider Jr. anything more than a whiny, immature child because she did not look beyond his preteen appearance. Although chaos' age was unknown, he actually had the facade of an experienced and understanding adolescent. In addition to that, Jr. has seen the way young women looked at chaos. There is no doubt that he was quite appealing to the opposite sex, and as much as Jr. hated to admit it, there is no way that a woman would pick HIM, a scrawny preteen with wild crimson hair and a short temper to boot, over the modest and compassionate chaos. Even if chaos did not exactly possess bulging muscles, his slightly feminine looks were attractive to women. His soft shoulder-length silver hair and bronze skin would send any female fainting. Knowing this fact, maybe MOMO found chaos more attractive than Jr., just as any other girl would.  
  
A blue car lined with white stripes on its sides drew nearer to the house as Jin was pulling up to the driveway. Jr. sprung to his feet when he saw that they had returned.  
  
Shion was the first to step out of the car. "Hey guys! I'm going to start lunch right now."  
  
"Do you want me to help you?" Jr. heard the gentle voice of MOMO.  
  
"That's all right. You should put all your clothes away in our room when you get in." Shion headed towards the house and entered the door. Allen followed after her, muttering something about helping her with lunch.  
  
Jin carried two shopping bags in his hand and began walking to the house. "MOMO, I'll put these in your room so you can unpack."  
  
"Thank you, Mr. Uzuki."  
  
Jin nodded and went into the house with the bags by his side. chaos helped MOMO out of the car, her hand holding his for support. Again, jealousy took Jr. in its clutches as he watched him doing so.  
  
"I'm going to go inside and see how the Captain is doing," chaos told her.  
  
"Okay, see you later," MOMO chirped. chaos went to the door and nodded his head to Jr. The U.R.T.V. only managed a small smile out of sheer politeness. After chaos left, he approached MOMO, suddenly remembering why he was mad at her for leaving in the first place.  
  
"MOMO, you..." His voice trailed off and his anger diminished when he saw what MOMO was wearing. He examined the baby blue dress that she donned, thinking that the color was more than suitable for her. She gripped the brim of her sun hat, in fear that it would escape from her grasp again when she and the others were driving on the road with the top down.  
  
"Wow, you look great," Jr. said outloud.  
  
A rosy tinge took to MOMO's ivory cheeks as she smiled. "Thank you. Shion and Jin helped me pick out my clothes. Speaking of which, I have to go and put them away."  
  
"I'll help you," Jr. walked her to the front door of the house. When MOMO passed the crew of the Elsa, everyone was astonished by her change of clothes.  
  
"Now doesn't she look cute," Matthews commented sincerely, not caring that he sounded more fatherly than his crew was used to hearing him.  
"Hey MOMO, how many guys asked you out today?" Tony joked, but his face fell when Jr. whipped out his loaded MAKAROV, the lethal weapon twirling in his hand threateningly. Everyone was silent as he followed MOMO up the staircase, not wanting to utter a word until they knew that Little Master was gone.  
  
"Was he angry that MOMO didn't tell him where she went?" chaos finally asked.  
  
"Angry? More like furious!" Hammer answered.  
  
"Yeah," Matthews confirmed. "Tony, Hammer, Allen, and me had to wrestle him so he wouldn't go into town and start going trigger-happy. We had to tie him down onto a chair 'cause he gave Hammer a good kick in the face. We promised him that we would untie him if he swore that he wouldn't go anywhere."  
  
"And you know Little Master. He's always good to his word," Tony added.  
  
chaos could make out the red mark that Jr.'s shoe had left on the right side of Hammer's face. He shook his head. "Sometimes that temper of his worries me."  
  
"Ah c'mon, chaos!" Tony exclaimed in defense of Jr. "He's only being protective of his girl is all."  
  
Hammer threw Tony an indignant glare. "Yeah? Why don't you let him kick you in the face and then try telling yourself that!?"  
  
Tony was silent after Hammer made his point. He greatly considered whether Jr.'s strong will to look after MOMO justified his acts of violence.  
  
Meanwhile, MOMO was busy hanging her dresses neatly in the wide closet of her room. Jr. was helping her by stowing away her shirts, shorts, and pants in the drawers that MOMO pointed to.  
  
"You got a lot of nice stuff," Jr. remarked after organizing her jeans and pants in their correct drawer.  
  
"I would have paid for them myself, but Shion and Mr. Uzuki wouldn't even hear it from me," MOMO replied while hanging a denim skirt in the closet. "They're really kind people."  
  
"Yeah," Jr. answered. "That Jin guy has great taste in books."  
  
MOMO took out a yellow sundress from the shopping bag and proceeded to hang it up. "How do you know?"  
  
"I was bored waiting here, so I went into his library and checked out the books. I'm gonna ask him if I could borrow a few while we're here."  
  
"I think that he would let you," she responded optimistically. Jin was such a giving person that she did not think that Jr. wanting to borrow some of his books would agitate him.  
  
Jr. put away the last of MOMO's clothing. "Hey, MOMO. Why didn't you tell me where you were going this morning?"  
  
MOMO's thin eyebrows knitted together, not certain if Jr. read the note that Shion wrote. "Well...I didn't want to bother you."  
  
Jr. raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Bother me? Why would you be bothering me?"  
  
"Because, you were sleeping when I came into your room. You looked so peaceful when you slept. Did you have a good dream?"  
  
"Um, something like that!" Jr. spouted out nervously upon remembering the kiss that he had stole from MOMO's lips while she slept last night.  
  
"Really? So did I," MOMO blurted out without knowing it until it was too late.  
  
"What was it about?"  
  
MOMO covered her mouth with her hands, her face flushing. She looked back at Jr. as he awaited her answer. She did not want to bring herself to confess what she saw last night, whether it was a dream or not. The thought of Jr. looking confounded or even offended when she told him that she dreamt him kissing her was mortifying. "I-it was nothing! Nothing at all!" She quickly said.  
  
Jr. noticed the sudden tenseness in her usually cheerful voice, but he did not delve into the subject anymore since he did not want to talk about anything that made her uncomfortable. "Anyway, do you want to do something with me after lunch?"  
  
MOMO was relieved when the topic of the conversation had changed. "Like what?"  
  
"Well, I was wondering if you want to take a walk with me on Jin's beach," Jr. said, his voice somewhat trembling.  
  
"Sure, I'd really like that," MOMO answered sweetly. The day was beautiful and she would want nothing more than to spend it outside with Jr.  
  
"Then we'll go after we eat," Jr. said, his poise slowly returning. "Let's go downstairs. Shion's probably going to call us down soon."  
  
MOMO agreed and Jr. and her left the room for lunch.  
  
* * * *  
  
"You guys tied Jr. down onto a chair!?" Shion repeated in disbelief.  
  
"We had to Chief!" Allen exclaimed defensively. "He was loading his gun and about to leave for the city to look for MOMO!"  
  
"Still, there was no other way to restrain him?" Shion asked while organizing the turkey sandwiches onto a tray.  
  
"We would have used tranquilizers but they were back on the Elsa," Allen informed her.  
  
Shion just rolled her eyes. "That's not what I meant-"  
  
"You know," Jin interjected his sister. "I think that that boy is quite taken by MOMO."  
  
"He is," chaos answered when he entered the kitchen. "He's always had affection for her, but of course he's too proud to tell her."  
  
"Poor MOMO," Shion said in sympathy for the Realian girl. "She really cares for Jr. as well. But because she's so shy, she can't go up to him and say how she feels for him."  
  
chaos nodded. "I think that she doesn't want to tell him unless she knew that he felt the same way."  
  
"The same with Jr. I don't think that he wants to go and tell MOMO what he wants to say in fear of being turned down by her," Shion stated. "If things keep going the way they are, I think that both of them will end up miserable."  
  
Jin raised an eyebrow. "Why don't they just make a date or something?"  
  
Shion glared at him after finishing arranging the sandwiches. "Weren't you listening? MOMO's too shy and Jr. is too stubborn for his own good-"  
  
"I was listening!" Jin protested. "I'm just saying that one of you should try to convince Jr. to ask MOMO out."  
  
"How do you suggest we do that?" Shion implored.  
  
"There are a lot of things to do in the city. Take a look at what it has to offer and find something that both MOMO and Jr. would enjoy."  
  
Shion contemplated over Jin's simple, but possibly effective, suggestion. "That might actually work. Since you're running out of food anyway, I'll go grocery shopping and look for myself."  
  
"Excellent!" Jin's hands clapped together. "You should be thankful that you have such a genius of a brother, Shion."  
  
Shion's mouth twitched. "Yes, I sure am proud of my brother who sticks his face in dusty books all day and can't cook or clean to save his life."  
  
* * * *  
MOMO and Jr. went down to the dining room to find that a mountain of sandwiches stood in the middle of the table and Matthews, Hammer, and Tony were already gorging.  
  
Jr. cautiously reached his hand onto the heap of the sandwich platter and managed to grab two large sandwiches for himself and MOMO. He handed it to her and she accepted it graciously.  
  
"MOMO, can you come to the city with me tomorrow?" Shion asked the Realian girl while setting a large pitcher of ice-cold lemonade on the table.  
  
MOMO swallowed the bits of turkey, lettuce, and tomato before she answered. "Sure. What do you need my help with?"  
  
"I'm going to go shop for groceries since Jin is running out of them," Shion said. "We're going to leave early tomorrow like we did today, okay?"  
  
"That's fine," MOMO responded after taking another bite out of her sandwich. She then took two of the glasses on the table and poured some lemonade into them for herself and Jr. She approached Jr. and gave him the beverage-filled glass and took a drink from hers. She smiled after tasting it because Shion had added the right amount of sugar without overpowering the lemons, just as MOMO liked it.  
  
After Jr. devoured another two or three sandwiches, he and MOMO left for the beach. They walked into the backyard from the kitchen and traveled down the cobblestone path, which twisted down the hill that led to the sandy shores of the ocean beneath. MOMO felt the warm sand beneath her toes and as it had done all morning, the sun beamed down upon her. She ran from Jr.'s side into the shallow depths of the ocean, the cool and inviting waters wading around her submerged ankles. She was careful not to get her dress wet since Shion and Jin went to the trouble of purchasing it for her.  
  
Jr. caught up to her and stood in the waters beside her, the sea breeze whispering quietly in both of their ears. He took a deep breath of the salty ocean air and exhaled, his senses somewhat invigorated. "Man, you never get air like this back at the Foundation."  
  
MOMO looked towards him. "What about Gaignun's beach, Jr.?"  
  
Jr. shook his head in denial. "Well, the thing about Gaignun's beach is that it's simulated. The sand there is fake, the water's fake, and hell, even the smell of the air is fake. If Gaignun or I wanted to change the weather, we could do that with the push of a button. Yeah, a simulated beach has its good points, but it's not like this."  
  
He kicked the water with his feet, enjoying the feel of it as it ran from his toes. MOMO saw that the ends of his pants were cuffed to his knees to prevent them from getting wet. She gazed down to the water where her reflection stood against the surface to greet her. "Then...I must be fake, too."  
  
Jr. stopped kicking the water as if someone had just ceased him by the shoulders. "What? Why do you say that?"  
  
MOMO scooped up some water in her hands, the water mirroring her youthful face from her palms. "I wasn't born the same way most humans are. Daddy made me in the appearance of his daughter, Sakura. I was made to look like her, to talk like her, to act like her...I'm just an imitation."  
  
Jr.'s eyes flashed angrily after listening to MOMO. "Don't talk like that!"  
  
She turned her head to him so her amber eyes met his sapphire ones. "It's true, isn't it? Sakura was an individual when she lived. She was kind, caring, helpful-"  
  
"MOMO, you're all that, too!"  
  
"But don't you see? I'm just a copy of her. I was programmed to be that way because I was modeled after Sakura when she died! I am a duplicate that resembles someone who was an individual. If Sakura were living, I would be obsolete..."  
  
Jr.'s eyes softened. He never knew that MOMO had felt that way about herself. Another reason to despise the lunatic Joachim Mizrahi. How could the old man do such a thing like that? How could he possibly believe that making a Realian in likeness to his daughter would ease his soul? Joachim only created MOMO to store his cursed data and to heal the wounds that were inflicted from the loss of his daughter. MOMO should not have to carry that burden on her shoulders. To Jr., she was an individual herself because she possessed a strength that even Sakura Mizrahi did not possess. She was able to live her life despite the fact that she was created by the hands of the greatest yet most hated man in the universe. MOMO was able to smile and laugh, even after all the torture that Albedo and the U-TIC organization put her through. A normal human being or Realian would have been drained of their sanity if they were forced to undergo what MOMO went through, but she was different.  
  
Jr. took her hands into his and looked deeply into her golden eyes. "Listen, you're not what you say you are. I know that you were created to look like Joachim's daughter, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you're just a copy."  
  
MOMO felt the warmth of his hands against the skin of her palms, but she was not totally convinced. "But Jr..."  
  
"You still know what sadness and happiness are and the difference between right and wrong. You have feelings just as any other person does. So what if your looks were modeled after someone else? Do you think anyone cares? You're just as much of an individual as anyone of us, so don't tell yourself otherwise!"  
  
The sun shone high above their heads as they looked at each other in silence. MOMO saw the vitality and passion swirling in the crystal blue depths of his eyes. She did not know what to say in response to Jr.'s outburst but in a sense, she was comforted by what he had said. She was happy that people considered her to be someone unique, someone different, instead of a mere shadow of her predecessor.  
  
Jr. felt her hands slip through his fingers. "Thank you," she muttered audibly. "I'm...happy about what you told me..."  
  
Jr. smiled as his hand ran through the tresses of his crimson hair. "It's nothing."  
  
MOMO took his hand again and gripped it securely. "No, it wasn't. It really meant a lot to me...what you said..."  
  
He could feel his cheeks burning, and he knew that the cause of it was not from the noon sun. She released his hand once more and turned his back to him. He was about to reach to her again, but something caught her eye. A pink conch shell was resting on the shore, the waters lazily washing over it. She ran towards it as it glistened from the water that dripped onto the sand from its glossy form. She picked it up in her hands, feeling the smoothness of its texture against her skin.  
  
"Jr., look what I found!" She called out to him, and he waded out of the water to come to her.  
  
"It's pretty, isn't it?" She asked as she held it out to him. He took it into his own hands, examining the spiral curves of the conch.  
  
"It is. Y'know, Gaignun told me that people would put their ears against the shell and they claimed that they could hear the ocean."  
  
"Do you think it's true?"  
  
"Probably is. I'll check it out," Jr. said and he nuzzled his hear near the large opening of the shell. He listened carefully, but all he heard was a strange clicking noise reverberating into his eardrum.  
  
"Well?" MOMO asked excitedly.  
  
"It doesn't really sound like the ocean-OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!" A hermit crab had clamped onto Jr.'s right ear, dangling firmly onto his flesh with its large jagged claw like a second earring. "GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF!!!"  
  
"Oh no!" MOMO looked around frantically for something to strike the crab with. "Hang on, let me look for a stick or something!"  
  
"DAMN YOU GAIGNUN!!!" Jr. cursed on the top of its lungs, startling the seagulls that flew above the deep blue waters. "YOU KNEW THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN TO ME!"  
  
Jr. stomped his feet onto the ground, thrashing around the sand in his pain while MOMO attempted to find a way to save him from the small crustacean's wrath.  
  
SPECIAL NOTE: Wow, almost 50 reviews...I seriously didn't think that I would get so many! Thanks! I'm happy that a lot of you really like this, but I'm still not close to finishing yet. See what I have to do to keep all of you happy!? (j/k)  
  
Hikari-chan: Thanks on your comments on the characterization. I really want to do my best to keep everyone in character. I'll continue to do so, but am glad that I'm doing a good job at it! And thanx for not thinking that Chap 8 was crappy.  
  
bfcat: LOL, you don't have to put this in your fav. category. I'd be too lazy, too. I'm glad that you think that I got talent!  
  
Angel-chan: Thanks for not thinking that Chapter 8 wasn't bad. I'm really flattered that you're excited that I updated. so chaos is yours, huh? Hope that you can keep all the other fan girls off of him!  
  
lizabeth: I still am developing a plot, but of course I can't tell you as of yet. Try and figure it out yourself! Oh and you don't want more writers like me. I live off of candy and caffeine, and have a really, REALLY short fuse.  
  
Vi3t Girl MOMO: I meant what I said about you and the others. I continued because I wanted to and you guys couldn't wait to see what happened next. Btw, you BETTER update soon!!! I want to read the rest of Warmth of Blue!!!  
  
Naela: I'm ecstatic that once again I'm able to keep everyone's character in check. Another chaos fan huh? That guy ought to have a club or something. Anyway, I really thought that I could form a brotherly bond between him and MOMO. I do remember what scene you're talking about, and that's where I was inspired.  
  
Sugar: Thanks for being patient on how slow the plot is developing. It's great that you're hooked on the story! Don't worry, the plot won't be disappointing at all. You'll see ^_^  
  
Akai Yuki: It's wonderful that you really like this story and all the MOMO/Jr. parts in it. As for chaos, well...I'm not telling! He plays a part in my story, not a completely major one, but you'll find out. But yes, I do have to agree he's kinda mysterious...but his looks more than make up for that.  
  
miwata: I'm glad that you think this story is sweet. I play on emotion a lot more than anything because...well, it's a romance fic.  
  
Kawaii Karen AND Sizzle: Yeah, another Pisces! Anyway, I do happen to know about both transformations and I do like that pink one! But since I'm trying to keep a low profile on MOMO, I don't think I can really put her in her transformation outfit. But thank you for suggesting it! But I still plan on doing something broader for MOMO.  
  
Sage Kaley: Man, you have a lot of muses! But that's okay cuz they're all really cute (go Vincent!). Thanks for adding this fic to your favorites!!!  
  
Kyosnekozukigirl: Hmmm, I don't think I'm making it too sappy. At least I don't plan on making it extremely sugar-coated. But thanks for thinking my story is great! ^_^  
  
Koko Kung and Yum Yum: My God, how many people like chaos!? Anyway, MOMO and Jr. are my favorite characters as well...well, you just read the updated chapter, so keep the sharp pointy thing away...  
  
Arcia: LOL, well, I did go on! Thanx for reviewing! ^_^ 


End file.
